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The Song of Meditation 


By ‘ 
ROBERT MAC GOWAN, M.A., D.D. 
(Minister of Bellefield Presbyterian Church,) 
Pittsburgh, Pa., Author of ‘‘What is 
Religion,” “‘Sympathy,”’ etc. 


With Introduction by 
JAMES H. SNOWDEN, D.D., LL.D. 





New YorxK CHICAGO 
Fleming H. Revell Company 


LONDON AND EpINBURGH 


Copyright, McCMxxvI, by 
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 


New York: 158 Fifth Avenue 
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave. 
London: 21 Paternoster Square 
Edinburgh: 99 George Street 


To My Wife, 
HELYN OSBORNE WEDDELL HENRY, 


My Inspiration and Co-worker 
Since My University Days. 





INTRODUCTION 


By James H. Snowden, D.D., LL.D., Editor of 
“The Presbyterian Banner.” 


EK ARE in danger, in the rush and roar of this 

high-speed, strenuous age, of losing the fine art 

of meditation. Everybody is in a hurry, and few 
take time to get acquainted with themselves. Many are 
always craving a crowd, itching for a new thrill. Left 
alone, they are instantly discontented, and grow morbid 
and miserable. Having no inner resources, they are not 
their own best company. Such a life is shallow, feverish 
and fretful, and ends in bitter disappointment.: Its roots 
have no depth of earth, and so it does not grow strong 
and fruitful. 

We must live our life inwardly before we can live it 
outwardly. The architect puts his building up from 
foundation to finish—in his own mind, in his plans and in 
minute specifications—before he erects it in steel and 
stone. The artist must see his picture in the gallery of 
his imagination before he can copy it on canvas. The 
inner preparation may be long and the outer execution 
short. The wheatfield lies out in the shower and sun- 
shine for weeks and months, absorbing nourishment out 
of its soil and gathering into its bosom golden beams from 
the sun, before it can ripen the seeds into golden grain. 
A meteor accumulates momentum through millions of 
invisible miles for the result of only one brief flash of 
splendor. A great surgeon said that if he had only three 
minutes for a critical operation he would take two to get 
ready. Jesus took thirty years of preparation in silence 
and solitude for three years of service. One must sit 
down and think and study a long while in order to get up 


5 


6 INTRODUCTION 


and teach or preach a little while. Wise living has its 
roots hidden in the silence which is the mother country of 
the strong. Jesus himself in his busiest days went at in- 
tervals “ apart awhile,” to renew his spiritual strength in 
prayer, rest his body and bathe his soul in the majesty of 
the mountain and the mystery of the sea. 

My friend, the gifted author of this book, has a genius 
for brooding over things and getting into their secret. He 
has a mystic affinity with the inner nature and soul of 
things, in which reside their true meaning and deepest 
power. He knows how to get far from the madding 
crowd and hide his soul in solitude. When he is thus en- 
gaged in meditation the world opens and shows him won- 
drous things. The most commonplace bit of Scripture 
under his meditative insight begins to sparkle and glow 
with new meaning and vision. He sees how all things are 
related, and how any thread hanging loosely out of the 
general web of the world will begin to unfold near-and- 
far connections—and would in time unravel the universe. 
All things thus grow luminous and eloquent with spiritual 
truth and throw a new light on our path. He knows 
where the green pastures and still waters are and can lead 
us into them. 

Our preacher is also a poet, as is abundantly evinced 
in these pages. He has the poetic insight to see the 
beauty and mystery that enmesh all things, the light that 
never was on sea or land and that suggests to us thoughts 
and feelings that are deeper than words, and may be too 
deep for tears. The poem attached to each meditation is 
a further illumination and enrichment of the theme and 
often gives the final touch that is perfection. In variety 
and melody and music these poems are a fine outflowering 
of the author’s gift and are a help and inspiration to the 
reader. Not only is there true poetry in the poems, but 
a vein of poetic thought and expression runs through all 
the meditations and prayers and embroiders them with 
golden threads and imbues them with beauty. 


INTRODUCTION 7 


A word, also, should be said for the prayers. These 
represent a difficult form of composition which elsewhere 
easily runs into stilted forms, grows highly artificial and 
lacks the devotional spirit. But the prayers printed here 
keep close to spiritual reality; they are filled with the 
breath of the Spirit and are yet simple and affectionate, 
and bear the soul up on the wings of aspiration. 

The pages of this volume are not extemporaneous writ- 
ing or speech, but are hammered gold and refined silver. 
They bear the marks of the artist’s toil and touch. They 
are packed with ideas and sparkle with aphoristic expres- 
sions and crystallized diamonds of thought. They will 
bear slow reading and meditative digestion. So read, so 
absorbed and assimilated, they will pass into the mind 
and heart, to be the bread and water of life; and they will 
reappear in the strength and beauty of the soul and in 
the growth and fruitage of the life. Having myself read 
them with personal profit and pleasure, it is a privilege to 
commend them to others. 

Pittsburgh, Pa. 


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CONTENTS 


GOD 
Subject and Texts Poem PAGE 
. THe Sone oF MeEpiTaTIon....The Song .......... 14 
Psa. 19: 14 
AV HOPIER GOD Puirecues ssaan 4 MN GOD TV Soe ciel 16 
Micah 7: 18 
MEO TERNAL, GOD. aa cede e's A Prayer oe Sas 18 
Ex. 3: 15 
. WHERE To Finp Gop......... SUDMISSION o.oo ea ele 20 
PstcOrst 
PAO EN SI ATURE 3 0 sag 04 sn een PHEV GUEY ot ks a 22 
Psa. 36:5 
. THE NaTuRE OF GOD......... WOPSHAD Ge ona ae a's 24 
Tiina: 2! 20 
SEU CYCLE OF GODY sols a aeieh The Carclan oie sean 26 
Bech. 12'6 
MPAAGRACTIOUS GOD. 65 a sce bi pee s The CrOSS Care 28 
Eph, 2:8 
. THE GoopNEss OF Gop........ TE OGOU lagi hen way toy 30 
Nahum 1:7 
. THE SALVATION OF GoD....... Come Unto Me..... 32 
Psa 888 
. Tue RicHEs oF Gop.......... Life Eternal ........ 34 
Eph, 3:16 
LEH ProrLt OF GOD. 2.6.06 POUNCE Nic divna ss 36 
Deut. 7: 6 
Pree PEMPLE OF Gon... sc... The Bride of Christ. 38 
Eph, 2: 21 
PORE ease OF GOD! elas. os bs My Strength ....... 40 
Psa. 70: 4 
PSOOLON HS ERTATAL i sis5 ooh's lca ss LARC COMTUCE n'a. bess 42 
Mal. 3: 10 


10 


16. 


17. 


18. 


19. 


20. 


21. 


22. 


23. 


24. 


25. 


26. 


Oy 


28. 


20. 


30. 


hf 


32. 


CONTENTS 

Subject and Texts Poem 

Tue Hanps oF Gop.......... A OT ahs isto me 
Ps. 3T7515 

In RELIEF oF Doust......... The Clearer Road... 
Lu. 7: 19 

JESUS 

Wi ONIS ESUS AMG ua ssa cnary FOE ents eee 
I Cor. 3: 23 

THE NAMES OF JESUS........ Life Laden vs .0.% 
Jno. 20: 31 

PATTHTIN’ CHRIST A ste ioe tassid MAY FOR Oe voces 
Acts 20: 2I 

AE IVING PATTH Cade kote oe The Resurrection ... 
Job 19: 25 

THE GEOGRAPHY OF FAITH....Security .......04.. 
Cabs sy, 

THE POSSIBILITIES OF FAITH. .Jn Peace .......... 
MR. 9: 23 

THE GREAT INVITATION....... His Welcome ...... 
Matt. 11: 28 

THE ETERNAL QUESTION...... My Savsor 00 se 
Acts 16: 30 

PROGRESSIVE SALVATION....... Good Wishes ...... 
Rom, 13: II 

THE CHRISTIAN CAREER...... The Three Graces .. 
Matt. 4: 19 

THE CHRISTIAN SECRET...... Ini N eed x2 ahora 
I Jno. 2: 28 

THE FRIENDSHIP OF JESUS....Seeking ........... 
Jno. 15: 14 

TEL TOV OF JESUS 70/0). Sis cals Cre The Wine of Life .. 
Psa. 51: I2 

THE REASONABLENESS OF 
JESUS Mitesh tid ick wore hllelateainy Destiny i wakes eae 
Matt. 7: 28 

THE Bopy oF CHRIST........ Church of Christ .. 


I Cor. 12: 27 


76 
78 


CONTENTS : 11 


HOLY SPIRIT 


Subject and Texts Poem PAGE 
33. THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT..... My Friend ......... 82 
Jno. 20: 22 
34. THE PoWER OF THE SpiRIT.... Dawn .......eeeeees 84 
Acts 1:8 
35. THE COMMUNION OF THE 
PSOTRI Ts ale eee Ate Gules oso COWL OTE ic pit are Viele 86 
2 Cor. 13: 14 
36. THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT...... ALS OCKeR aati he cas 88 
Coly2= 3 
37. THE Day OF THE SPIRIT...... The Higher Will ... 90 
Rev, I: 10 
38. THE SPIRIT AND THE Brivk...The Wooing Word .. 92 
Rev. 22: 17 
39. THE EYES OF THE SPIRIT..... Blinded Windows ... 94 
Pett: 3 
40. SPIRITUAL, NOURISHMENT..... SOLSHed Naas slelane's 96 
JRO. 42 32 
41. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT... «Promise ....cccceses 98 
Gal. 5: 22 
42, THE Bonn OF THE SPIRI’T..... Unto the End ...... 100 
Jno. 13: 1 
RA PIRITUAL EIRAT TH: (0.3. sie. sa's EP AU es tein el caves 102 
Jno. 10: 10 
44. Tue Sprrituat Rack........ Youth and Age .... 104 
Heb, 12:1 
45. THE SPIRIT OF CONQUEST..... The Will to Pray ... 106 
Be I7 29 
46. Tue Sprriruar Hope......... The Welcome ....... 108 
Job 19: 26 
HUMANITY 
ATMGOGIANDEMAN Couche ee es oak The Constraints of 
TOU oan y atetiniglal sare 112 
PF SGas 4 


48. 


THE MEASURE OF A MAN..... The Peace of God .. 114 
Gen, 13: II 


12 


49. 
50. 
BI. 


52. 
53: 
54- 
55: 
56. 
57: 
58. 
59: 
60. 
61. 


62. 


CONTENTS 
Subject and Texts Poem 
AN UNPRINCIPLED MAN...... CHOLIV RE art es 
Lu. 18: 1-8 
AUER NSW ORK o sioid ties ka alleles Rove. city hee eon tere 
Gal. 6:9 
THE CONTRIBUTION OF A 
COURIGTLAN WL Ghy It My Pur poseten contin 
Jno. 13: 35 
DHE ‘Care or Sours... .)..5.. Values io. Necker wae 
Psa. 142: 4 
CHRISTIAN STRATEGY......... W Gsté Goal a eae 
Mk. 2:5 
THE EXERCISE OF REASON... .SUCCESS ..cceceeeeee 
I Thess. §: 21 
THE VALUE OF EDUCATION....SeeRing .....0e.e00. 
Prov. 22:6 
Lae LEAL CITIZEN oper ayia s The Will of God ... 
Rev. 21: 27 
CuRIST’s SUPERSTATE......... The Army of God .. 
Jno. 18: 36 
THE FIELD OF SERVICE....... The Banner ........ 
Mek. 16:15 
LEADERSHIP Ge SHU U Uni. nit The Interpreter ..... 
Jno. 1:6 
HAN ESGIVING si! , ope cin as Lredsure: GUewtoaaes 
Eph. 5: 20 
Tue Mover WorRKMAN....... The: Load vey Goes 
Jno. 9:4 
CHRISTIAN INTERNATIONAL- 
Ho RINT RUN CaCl aM baby fe The New Day ...... 


Matt. 13: 38 


GOD 


I ee 
THE SONG OF MEDITATION 
The meditation of my heart—Psaum 19: 14. 


HE singing of the heart is like the flow of water- 
brooks or as the sighing of summer winds through 
evergreen shrines. Deep within us all is the sacred lyre 
upon which the unseen Spirit strikes the music of life. 
Many and varied are the songs that He awakens and 
sweet the melody that pours itself through the years. 

There is no such thing as absolute uniformity in the 
realm of meditation. We do not all meditate about the 
same things. Life is too complex for that. Some medi- 
tate upon their fortunes, others on their cares, and still 
others on their sins, until there happens a dangerous 
brooding that robs the soul of peace. 

The words of the Psalmist are directive. He seems to 
say, ‘ Let my reason, my will, my emotions be brought 
under thy control, that all my thoughts may be about 
thee, and for thy glory.” He meditated upon God. To- 
day the mind has too much trivial diet. It is a starved 
calf of the stall. It feeds on straw. In the contemplation 
of God, an exercise almost abandoned in our busy age, the 
mind becomes strong and clean. Such meditation is a 
lake among the mountains, where the soul bathes and is 
purified from the contagion of the valleys. 

He meditated upon the works of God. We are too lit- 
tle acquainted with nature today. It has been material- 
ized to suit the biological monism of certain schools of 
thought, or it lies hidden under a blanket of fog from the 
mills. Lift up your-eyes to the hills, he would tell us, for 
there is God’s footstool. 

He meditated on life. In God’s presence he under- 
stood the mystery of suffering and saw the triumph of 
righteousness. From such reflections came his songs of 
the spirit. 

14 


yf 


THE SONG OF MEDITATION 15 


THE SONG 


A song there is whose gentle cadence woos me 
From toil and play and from my dreams away, 
And when the flaming eyes of life accuse me, 

I have sweet words to say. 


To find the great Unknown that sings about me 

And soothes the sad complaint of mortal woe, 

I would refuse the tinseled scenes that flout me 
And to His valleys go. 


When in my garden roses are a-Juning, 

And yellow bees hum through the golden hours, 

The soft winds lilt a song their pipes a-tuning 
In chorus with the flowers. 


Oh! ’tis the melody of heaven above me, 

The little song of birds, the laugh of spring, 

The bountiful desire of them that love me, 
The good in everything. 


PRAYER 


H Spirit unseen, how do I thank Thee for gentle 

thoughts that float through my mind like laden 
ships upon a sunny sea! Where love abides no unseemly 
desire can long remain. Oh Thou who art Love Eternal, 
fill Thou the thirsty streams of my life with the water of 
Thy Spirit so pure and refreshing. Clothe me about 
with the rich mantle of mercy and help me to walk 
unafraid through the strife of life. Help me to be in my 
heart what I would be amongst my fellows,—gracious, 
strong, and forbearing, and when I am tempted to be 
cold and critical help me to remember Him who said,— 
“ Neither do I condemn thee.” Give me for my daily 
companion life’s spirit of venture and I shall find Thee 
in every fragrant flower, and hear Thy voice in every 
wind that blows. Amen. 


II 
WHO IS GOD? 
Who its a God like unto thee?—Micau 7: 18. 


4 Nimminn are three types of mind represented in these 
words. One stops at the very first word. What is 
all this talk about the unseen? ‘There is no evidence. 
All nature lives and dies. Humanity suffers agelong 
agonies. An interminable silence answers the call of 
need. Why, then, speak of an unseen Presence? The 
case is not so easily closed. The Creator has left unmis- 
takable signs of His love in the material universe. 
Within the sinful heart of man His voice is never silent, 
and in the message of Jesus there is gracious confirma- 
tion of the deepest longings of faith, Who? His name 
is whispered by mind and matter alike. 

The second type asks—Who is God? Many answers 
are offered. He is Energy. But energy, even in its most 
rudimentary form, is found yoked to an idea. It is or- 
ganized. How can this be? He is Force, says another, 
like dynamite scattering the rocks. But this is not the 
highest element in life, and does not appeal to the deep- 
est within me. Is He, then, Intelligence? This is a step 
further. But it is an abstraction that cannot compel the 
warm ardor of my affections. All such answers leave the 
soul in darkness. 

The third type speaks of a God “ like unto thee.” This 
is a personal God to whom I can direct my prayers. He 
is a God of experience, for the centuries have proved His 
unfailing goodness. Micah’s description is twofold; He 
is righteous, for He punishes sin, and He is merciful, for 
He pardoneth iniquity. Soon we hear Jesus say, “ Father 
in Heaven.”. He is still the Eternal, Almighty God, but 
He is my Father, whose love is life and whose presence is 
victory. This is not a God. He is my God. 


16 


WHO IS GOD? 17 


MY GOD 


Why tell me to love what I cannot love, 
Or fear what I may not fear! 

If God be a monarch in realms above, 
Inke a slave I shall grovel near. 


If God be the Father of all mankind, 
Inke a child I shall hasten in 

With the fairest gifts that I can find, 
And a sob for the tale of sin. 


For God is not the Lord of the dead, 
But a living God 1s He; 

And His life with the life of earth is wed 
For the eyes of a soul to see. 


PRAYER 


H, living Father, we beseech Thee to be very patient 
with our blindness. Afraid of Thee, we miss the 
joyful fellowship of Thy love, and doubting Thee we toil 
lonely and weary, knowing not that Thou art waiting 
near to bless. Open our eyes, dear Lord, that we may 
see Thy gracious presence filling earth and sky. Open 
our hearts that they may be flooded with the abundance 
of Thy good gifts. Forgive our stubborn unbelief, and 
like winter fleeing before the warm sunlight so may our 
doubts take wing and trouble us no more. Reveal to us 
the glory of Jesus. Teach us His secret. May we be 
willing to wait until we learn of Him, and in His quiet 
assurance help us to find life strong, abundant, and 
pure. Amen. 


III 
THE ETERNAL GOD 


I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the 
God of Jacob.—Exonvs 3: 15. 


N order to know God it is necessary to have a name 
for Him. Of course, no single word can ever ade- 
quately convey the personality of God to the world, yet 
such words are enough to suggest His personality, indi- 
viduality and spirituality. He is the living God. Many 
can only think of His plenitude, independence, absolute- 
ness and power in the significant word “I am.” Union 
with such a being is next to impossible, and unbelief is 
therefore largely due to an inadequate knowledge of the 
being, attributes and purposes of God. One truth is 
plain, it is necessary to see God as Creator before it is 
possible to know Him as Redeemer. Natural and spiri- 
tual must be the necessary complements of each other. 
Yet it is wrong to find God in nature first. The per- 
sonal element in religion is paramount. This is the dis- 
tinctive feature of our text. It speaks of the adaptability 
of God. God suits Himself to every age and every ex- 
perience. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were men of differ- 
ent times and ideals, and for them all there was one 
Teacher and Guide. This is what we mean by the eter- 
nity of God. As an abstraction, it is incomprehensible. 
As an experience, it is the greatest achievement of the 
mind. He is the ever-present One. Across the centuries 
we see lives half lived, remnants of beautiful designs, 
truths half born. Our own frailty shocks us, the long 
vista of change and decay staggers us, but the thought of 
God possesses us. He is, as always, in command. As He 
was with Abraham, so will He be with us. God is as 
men have proved Him through the ages—Creator, Re- 
deemer and Friend. 


18 


THE ETERNAL GOD 19 


A PRAYER 


Lead me, my Lord, for I am weak and faint. 
The way is long and weary. Soon the night 
Will hold me fast. Yet shall I trust the light 

That ever shineth, till the dawning paint 

The promise of a fairer noon. Ah, holy saint, 
Lean on thy faith and let no foes affright. 
Hope on, and love, the ills of life despite, 

Will make a royal robe of thy complaint. 


Oh, let me climb above the weeping waves, 
For I am wrestling in a tideless sea, 
Until I rest upon the rock that saves, 
And seek no other than the Cross and Thee. 


Strengthen me, Lord, that I my load endure, 
Above all else of Thy leal love most sure. 


PRAYER 


E praise Thee, oh God, for the testimony of our 
fathers. Through the wilderness Thy hand led 
them and in the joy of Thy presence they found their 
promised land. Thy love was their strength by day and 
Thy peace their refuge by night. In the lonely ways of 
failure Thy right hand sustained them and in their fool- 
ish wanderings Thy grace wooed them to Thy heart 
again. We thank Thee, Father, for the rich heritage of 
their faith and service. Out of the past the voice of their - 
praise arises and we would join with them our voices in 
holy acclamation, for Thou art the God of our salvation. 
Glory be to Thy name, oh God, who art the same yester- 
day and today and forever. Amen. 


IV 
WHERE TO FIND GOD 
The secret place of the Most High—Psaum 91: 1. 


F there were no secret places there would be no mys- 
teries and without the element of mystery life loses 
much of its appeal and romance. Religion has its secret 
place, and certain words used by the Psalmist guide us in 
our search for it and understanding of it. 

Its location. It is wherever the ‘‘ Most High ”’ is to be 
found. These are ancient words and to the Hebrew were 
poetical and symbolical. The upper atmosphere is much 
purer than the smoke-laden valleys. Jehovah is remote 
from the sins and follies of men, though He lends His aid 
to all who seek Him. In their attempt to democratize 
God some have almost succeeded in identifying Him with 
the vices of our age. God is not just one of ourselves. 
He is the “ Most High,” and His secret place is holy and 
undefiled. 

Its nature. The Psalmist does not say “ In the secret 
place with the Most High.” The secret place is the Most 
High. He Himself and none other is our refuge. The 
Church is not the secret place, however impressive, nor yet 
the place of your private devotions; it is not even the Holy 
Book from which you draw encouragement. It is purely 
spiritual. “He dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” 
This is not a reality to physical sense, but the spiritual 
contact is none the less real. You may associate such 
nearness to God with certain localities or persons, but the 
essential thing is the spiritual contact with the Unseen. 

The approach to 1t. The soul does not need to go far 
to find this secret place. It is not located on any map 
known to man. Laboratories and séances will not bring 
us there. Here and now our minds may find Him. Jesus 
is the Way. Tell Him your love and desire. Give all to 
Him, and the secret place will become an immediate 
reality. 


20 


WHERE TO FIND GOD). 21 


SUBMISSION 


Where Thou dost lead, Lord, thither would I follow, 
A humble soul that knoweth not the way, 

For without Thee the heart of life is hollow, 
And tasteless treasures spoil the toiler’s day. 


Help me to know that Thou art found unfailing, 
Where human need cries out above the din 

Of work and pleasure, and Thou art assailing 
With all good men the tyrant hosts of sin. 


Then shall I do the duty here beside me, 
And in Thy spirit grace the days with love, 
My dearest wish,—an unseen hand to guide me, 
My richest gold,—the summer suns above. 


Seek not my soul the loveless adulation. 
Ts but a shadow e’er the night will fall. 
Hope thou in God with earnest expectation, 
And be thou suift to hear when love shall call. 


PRAYER 


UR Father, in Thy presence help us to be still. De- 
liver us from the spirit of contention. Having the 
hearing ear and the understanding heart let our yea be 
yéa and our nay, nay. Teach us to respect the opinions 
of others and to acknowledge our debt to those who have 
gone before us. May we not underestimate or despise 
those who may not have had our advantages but rather 
see good in the humblest. Let us not be wise in our own 
conceits nor despise the gifts within us, but taught of 
Thee, with patience and courage let us prove our words by 
our deeds. We are Thy children, Father, and Thy name 
is Peace. So let us bear Thine image, through Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. 


Vv 
GOD IN NATURE 


Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens. 
—Psaum 36: 5, 6. 


HEN we view a famous picture our reaction is 
that we would like to meet the artist. Who would 
not like to meet the great Architect of| the Universe! 

The sky is all-enfolding. Much of the earth is for- 
bidden. Palaces and vast estates are closed but the heav- 
ens are free. Across the blue expanse our eyes may travel 
at will. It reaches everywhere also, into orchards and 
rose gardens, and into slums and alleys as well. The love 
of God, like the golden sky, is the heart’s escape from the 
drudgery and mystery of life. 

His faithfulness is in the clouds. The word means loy- 
alty and trustworthiness. God keeps His promises. His 
love can be trusted. He made us physical and He feeds 
us; mental and He teaches us; heart-sick and He loves us. 
His love reaches to the clouds of sin that He may forgive 
and to the clouds of sorrow for He is our shelter from the 
storm. This is the strong support of the soul,— God is 
faithful.” 

His righteousness is like the great mountains. They 
seem to be eternal, standing high above the shifting sands. 
So the will of God never grows old. Amid the uncertainty 
of our time and its changing systems, ‘ Thus saith the 
Lord” abides forever. The mountains are a refuge, as 
David knew well. So, when the standards of the world 
are in ruins, we come again to find eternal truth in God. 

His judgments are a great deep. The mind reels as we 
gaze far down into the valley from the mountain-tops. 
So God’s dealings with man, His government of the world, 
His providential love are all beyond our understanding — 
but His love endures. We believe in Him and all is well. 


22 


GOD IN NATURE 28 


THE VALLEY 


Oh Thou that art the dark in mystery 
And light as morning in Thy precepts clear, 
In this broad valley lone I feel Thee near, 

Thy voice to hear, Thy bounty plain to see. 

Inke the strong mountains would Thy servant be, 
Steadfast and sure amid the changing year, 
When fiercely thunders roll, that know no fear, 

And from whose haloed brow the shadows flee. 


Or like this brook that sings of love to man 
From glade to glade by town and hamlet lone, 
Obedient partner in the age-long plan 
Till life shall be as perfect as Thine own. 


Make my sun’s setting as the rising, Lord, 
That earth may praise the glory of Thy word. 


PRAYER 


E praise Thee, oh God. Thy throne is in the 
heavens, Thy footsteps upon the waves of the 
mighty deep, and the clouds are Thy chariots. All about 
us Thy presence is made known to such as seek Thee. 
How beautiful are Thy works and how mysterious the in- 
finite space that surrounds us. Let us not, therefore, bow 
down before Thy handiworks to worship. They must 
pass away in the purpose of Thy will, but Thou art the 
same yesterday and today and for ever. Thou God of the 
stars, we have known Thee by Thy mighty works, but in 
Jesus Christ, our Lord, we have learned to love Thee. 
Thou art far and yet near, strong and yet gentle, glorious 
and yet kind. We trust Thee, and therefore do we love, 
serve and worship Thee with all our hearts. We bow 
before the High God for we, too, are the works of Thy 
hands. Amen. 


VI 
THE NATURE OF GOD 


Everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him. 
I JoHN 2: 29. 


NE is struck in reading these verses with John’s en- 
thusiasm for righteousness. Christianity was be- 
ginning to face the forces of paganism, rationalism, and 
Judaism. It had to explain itself, and in the attempt to 
do so many of the greatest thinkers of the time misstated 
and distorted the truth beyond all recognition. Chris- 
tianity became a philosophy instead of an experience. 
John says it is all a mighty delusion. A full brain is no 
substitute for a clean heart. Zeal for knowledge will not 
excuse any neglect of righteousness. This one thing it is 
necessary to know concerning God,—that He is righteous. 
This is the principle at the heart of Calvary. God did not 
erucify Christ. Sin did it. Calvary measures the differ- 
ence between right and wrong. It is more, it is the symbol 
of what God has been doing since the beginning,—bearing 
the sins and sorrows of mankind upon His own heart. In 
the agony of Jesus we see the willingness and the readi- 
ness of God to save men. Calvary is the extreme measure 
of the love and the righteousness of God. Righteousness 
is the general name for actions that spring from love. 
John says nothing new when he writes that God is right- 
eous, but to say that “ God is love”’ is to reach the sum- 
mit of all revelation. Then God is almighty, for love is 
the greatest power in the universe; He is eternal, for love 
never dies; He is righteous, for love seeks the highest good 
of the object of its desires. 

The idea of power in God’s nature lies nearest to the 
mind. Then we are afraid of God. To know that He is 
righteous is the next step in the education of the soul. 
Sometimes that knowledge is dearly bought. The last 
step comes when the angels sing,—‘‘ God is Love.” It is 
the great indwelling element in the world,—the source of 
all human greatness. 


24 


THE NATURE OF GOD | 25 


WORSHIP 


To rest in quiet at the feet of God, 
While sin struts proudly through the streets abroad, 
And ribald crowds his shameless deeds applaud, 

Is to be humbled low. 


To gaze in wonder round the Holy Place 
And here and there His love to mortals trace; 
To read the record of eternal grace 

Is all the truth to know. 


To bow before Him heart and mind aflame 
With glowing love, that yields His lordly claim; 
To giwe Him all that human heart can name 

Is in His life to grow. 


PRAYER 


ATHER, I thank Thee for the joy of silence. 
Through the unseen doors I pass out of the noises 
of the street and from the confusion of my own thoughts. 
Here Thou only art heard to speak and the quietness is 
full of pleasant dreams. My wondering mind has found 
the Light that never fades, and every moment is an eter- 
nity. Here, oh my God, the mysteries of earth are re- 
vealed and my soul finds in Thee the center of all truth 
and love. I cannot hasten when I am with Thee. There 
is a pause while I kneel in meditation and it is good to be 
there. Teach me Thy silence, Lord, that I may be calm 
when the tempest comes down, and patient when the 
anger of man rails againstme. Take me often away with 
Thyself alone that in the silent discourse of Thy fellow- 
ship I may find wisdom and peace. This is the gate of 
heaven to my soul. Amen. 


Vil 
THE CYCLE OF GOD 


The wind returneth again according to his circuits. 
—EccLESIASTES 1: 4-9. 


HE infinite sum of things—Eternity—is a circle to 

which God alone has given bounds. Within that 
circle proceeding from the same center and with an ever- 
increasing radius stand the circles of the world’s history. 
Nature shows us God’s general plan of creation. Think 
of the roundness of the world, trees, stars, horizon, oceans, 
rivers, fields and mountains. The line of beauty is the 
line of curve, and the law of circularity prevails every- 
where in nature. There is harmony and arrangement 
among the creative forces of the universe. | 

This law appears in the development of life as well. 
God did not follow the shortest distance between two 
points in producing such infinite variety of existence, as 
we may learn from. the fossiliferous strata under our feet. 
The circle of life has been ever widening. 

This may also be seen in the movements of time. 
Morning, noon and night! Why should there be night? 
Because night is nature’s restorer and even flowers must 
sleep. Why winter, then? Winter is the cradle where 
seasons are nurtured. The life of the flower passes back 
into the bulb or forward into the seed and so the tale 
repeats itself. 

Here, too, is the story of man’s life. Circulation, re- 
flex action, motory circuits of thought! Life is never like 
a straight line. Yet is there not mere repetition. There 
is an expanding circle of experience. 

We say that history repeats itself. The Fall and the 
Deluge are not isolated facts in history. Rather are they 
symbols of catastrophe for mankind in all ages, and yet 
Assyria, Rome, Egypt left the world richer by their death 
than by their life. Retrogression is the one inevitable 
condition of progress. 


26 


THE CYCLE OF GOD 27 


THE CIRCLE 


Only a little while 
The tale to tell, 

A tear, a song, a smile, 
And then farewell. 


Only a bloom or two 
From love’s sweet bower, 
That I have plucked for you, 
My fairest flower. 


Only a kiss to keep 
My faint heart bold, 

And then the long, long sleep 
Where hearts are cold. 


PRAYER 


PON Thee, oh Father, my will depends; to Thee my 
mind inclines, and for Thee my heart longs. Out 
of the night of ignorance I cry for light and from the 
struggle of life I come to Thee for rest. From Thee my 
life has come and to Thee it will return again. How dark 
it is behind and before, but there is peace according as I 
trust in Thee. Help me to be patient amid the mystery 
that surrounds, but ever teach me to hear more clearly 
the voice of Thy Spirit. My folly is my faithlessness, and 
my happiness my trust. Show me Thy way, oh Lord, and 
lead me as in the days of old. As my eyes grow dim, may 
Thy light be clearer and Thy love more real. Then when 
the darkness falls, there will be no loneliness, for light 
and dark are both alike to Thee. Amen. 


Vill 
A GRACIOUS GOD 
By grace are ye saved—EPHESIANS 2: 8. 


ET no one doubt the love of God. He does not ask 

that we should merit His love. It is because there 

is sin that there is grace, and because men and women are 
so helpless, this grace is free. 

Consider how the Apostle illustrates this truth. He 
makes a series of contrasts. First,—grace and debt. We 
are debtors to those who sacrificed to make us what we 
are. We are debtors to our friends and neighbors, whose 
fellowship sweetens our sorrow. We are debtors to nature 
from whose abundance we grow rich and strong. How 
much more are we debtors to God from Whom cometh 
every good gift! No money can ever pay for love. 
There is a debt which we can never wipe from life’s bal- 
ance sheet. What shall we do with our debt to God? 
Spiritual bankruptcy mocks our best efforts. He must 
forgive. It is grace that cancels our debt. 

Secondly,—grace and works. If we were absolutely 
perfect, then would we be equal with God, and grace 
would be unnecessary. But, oh, the wounds, bruises, and 
putrefying sores of the world’s heart. This is not the ver- 
dict of the degenerates. It is written in the consciences of 
the best men. It is the message of the greatest literature 
in all ages. It is the voice of the centuries. ‘‘ All we like 
sheep have gone astray.” We have all sinned. Again it 
is grace that forgives and saves. 

Thirdly,—grace and law. The law says, ‘“‘ Go,”—grace 
says, ‘‘Come.” The former is good advice,—the latter is 
good news. The law came in thunder, smoke, and fire. 
Grace came through Calvary. Mystery hangs around the 
Cross, but there is forgiveness. There the human heart 
meets with God. 


28 


A GRACIOUS GOD 29 


THE CROSS 


Ah, no proud boast His peaceful lips defiled, 
No sob disgraced, no servile sigh outran 
Divine imperative. But lke a child, 
“When ye have lifted up the Son of Man,” 
He taught His own. Reproach unspoken there 
Saw ignorance in riot everywhere. 


The Cross became His throne and sorrow crowned 
With sacrifice His royal brow; and lands 
As ages passed were healed. The nations found 
A wondrous charm beneath His piercéd hands; 
And worlds drunk with the blood of men and fierce 
Awoke: for love compels and thorns can pierce. 


Oh prophets of the Lord’s diviner plan 
Illumine Calvary: “ Behold the Man.” 


PRAYER 


ATHER, Thou art great in compassion, and oh, how 
our hearts ery for Thee night and day. How easily 
we fall a prey to the low desires of our nature and how 
feeble is the battle we fight for truth and right. We 
would not blame others nor any circumstances of life for 
our fall. We have sinned. Oh, God, help us in our weak- 
ness. We would be noble, pure, and honorable, but alas 
how imperfect is our attainment. Be near to help. Leave 
us not, oh Lord, to perish, but in the evil hour grant us 
the victory. We believe in Him who said, ‘“‘ I have over- 
come the world.” Father, let us share His victory, that 
we may be like Him in character and service. Amen. 


Ix 
THE GOODNESS OF GOD 


The Lord is good and he knoweth them that trust in 
him. —NAHUM 1: 7. 
The Lord knoweth them that are his. 
—II Timotny 2: 19. 


OD and man,—the Bible has no other interest. 
These two words bring us face to face with the 
greatest. questions that ever humbled the heart of man. 
At once we agree with the prophet. God knows and man 
trusts. Our knowledge is hazy and inadequate. We see 
through a glass darkly. There is no finality for man. 
But who would dare set bounds to the wisdom and knowl- 
edge of God! He holds the seas in the hollow of His 
hands, and the centuries have told their secrets to Him. 
But greatest of all He knows each one of us. He under- 
stands us as no other ever can, and better than we do our- 
selves (I Samuel 13: 14). “God looketh on the heart.” 
Often. we are a problem to others, else why do they talk 
about us so idly! And generally we are a bigger problem 
to ourselves. But God is never surprised. He knows our 
nature, our circumstances, our strength, and our weak- 
ness. He sees the end from the beginning. 

To some hearts this is a terrifying thought. He has 
searched us and tried us. We can hide nothing from Him. 
What an experience! Remember, then, the first words of 
the prophet, “God is good.” Conscience thunders our 
guilt into our ears, but the Lord kindly constrains and 
compels us by the violence of His Love. The word 
“trust” sums up our relation to Him. In the heart of the 
Eternal there is peace. Sometimes our faith is in bond- 
age. The light within us flickers and dies away. Did 
you ever think that God made the darkness, too? Out of 
the cloud He spake to His people and life’s great experi- 
ences,—its sorrows, decisions, failures and victories are 
the encircling mists out of which we come stronger, more 
subdued, and more earnest for our communion with God. 


30 


THE GOODNESS OF GOD | 31 


TODAY 


My cup ts foaming to the brim. 

The breath of even 1s a hymn 
To lull my soul to pray. 

Low in the vale the light is dim, 
And I have loved today. 


Each day 1s my companion sweet, 

Whom I am always glad to meet 
For he has much to say. 

Let shallow hearts the future greet, 
I walk with my today. 


Tomorrow may be brighter still, 

No masts upon the towering hill 
To foi my favored way. 

The morn a thousand cups may fill, 
But thank God for today. 


PRAYER 


ATHER, I thank Thee for the happiness that has 
made life so worth while. Thou hast given me 
precious gifts innumerable for mind and body, and above 
all the joy of knowing and serving Jesus my Savior. 
“Goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of 
my life.” I thank Thee also for what Thou hast denied 
me. How little do I know what is for my good! Often 
have my prayers been unanswered lest Thy favor should 
feast my vanity, and through the darkness have I come 
that I might learn to love the light. Yet do I thank Thee 
for the lure of the unattainable,—that there is ever an- 
other height to climb. Help me to strive that I may 
attain, and to see beyond the boundaries of sense the day 
of Thy kingdom. Gracious Lord, let me not grow weary 
in the struggle, but rather let Thy will be done in me, 
until I come to the stature of the perfect man in Christ 
Jesus. Amen. 


x 
THE SALVATION OF GOD 
Salvation belongeth unto the Lord.—PsaLo 3: 8. 


HIS great man was surrounded by enemies seeking 
his life. They mocked him, saying, “there is no 
help for him in God.” How simple yet how strong is his 
faith! Its strength lies in its simplicity. His is the 
prayer of a little child when the dark night falls. “I laid 
me down and slept.” Such is the answer of calm, humble, 
courageous faith to the taunts of an over-confident enemy. 
Here is man’s need summed up in a word,—salvation. 
Sin is a storm devastating the fair garden of the soul,—a 
plague blighting its simplicity, purity, and beauty,—an 
enemy seeking its downfall continually. Guilt is a lep- 
rosy which only the love of God in Christ can cleanse. 
And none can escape it. ‘‘ We all have sinned.” What 
of this in the light of eternity? No wonder it is said, 
“The sting of death is sin.” Is our hope in ourselves? 
Our failures mock us. Jehovah saves. 

In Christianity two things are inseparable,—man’s 
need and God’s love. It is this love which makes salva- 
tion possible. Love gives and forgives. Wounded, it 
kisses the hand that dealt the wound. Sinned against, it 
loves the sinner still. We are to blame, not because we 
are weak, but because we: have sinned. Have you dis- 
covered your need,—the sinfulness of sin? Look to Cal- 
vary. That bleeding love will inspire you with a deeper 
sorrow for sin, a deeper sense of forgiveness, and a deeper 
love for Him who died. 

Faith must be simple as a child’s. Who can teil the 
mystery of the relationship between Christ’s death and 
my sin? Jesus said it, and I believe it. Oh, that the 
world knew more of His power to save! 


32 


THE SALVATION OF GOD 33 


COME UNTO ME 


I bowed my head when hope had fled. 
My lonely heart was numb and cold, 
And when my tears the anguish told, 

“Come unto Me,” the silence said. 


Upon the street, with busy feet 

I fled the sorrow in my soul, 

And where the crowds unheeding roll 
A voice said, “ Come,” in accents sweet. 


Into the wood where shadows brood 

I took my weary heart one day. 
“Oh come” I heard the soft winds say, 
And there the lonely stranger stood. 


Ah, then I knew with vision true 

The Holy Man of Galilee, 

And, when I bowed my stubborn knee, 
His blessing fell ike morning dew. 


PRAYER 


UR Father, who art the center of all truth and love, 
receive from our unworthy hands, we entreat Thee, 
the service that we offer each day. Alas, that it should 
be so small. We have failed Thee in the crowded marts 
and in the places of our pleasure. We deplore our forget- 
fulness. We are unprofitable servants. But, Father, help 
us above all to examine our motives. Even when we 
would do Thee honor, we are self-seeking and vain. 
Cleanse us from our wicked way that we may not stain 
our gifts with selfish ambition. All that we have is Thine 
and in our service of Thee we would wait for Thy guid- 
ance, and trust in the strength which Thou alone canst 
give. Amen. 


XI 
THE RICHES OF GOD 


Strengthened with might. Rooted and grounded in 
love. Able to comprehend.—EPHESIANS 3: 16-19. 


N organ plays,—sweetness, volume, harmony, min- 
gling in charming proportion. We say, “ Glorious,” 
but the trained ear can tell every stop as it is pulled out. 
So Paul analyzes the glory of God. God is not rich be- 
cause He is a great landowner. Though He be a million- 
aire in worlds, that is no reason why men should believe 
in Him. The outstanding features of the glory of God 
are His power, wisdom, and love. 

The first we can easily see. He is Maker of Heaven 
and earth. He controls the growing purpose in history, 
and His new creation in the souls of men is yet in the 
making. The instrument by which God works in human 
experience is His Holy Spirit, and His objective is the 
spirit in man. In that spiritual realm all may know the 
power of God. Let the spirit be unawakened, and the holy 
altars of the soul are desecrated. When God comes His 
spirit brings life, and the temple of the soul is rebuilt. 

Strength without knowledge is ignorance,—destructive 
and terrible. “ Strong to comprehend!” God wants us 
to cultivate the faculty of perception. The sailor can see 
a ship where you can only see water. The shepherd can 
distinguish every sheep in the flock, where you can see no 
difference. Would that our spiritual vision were as quick 
and accurate! Wisdom is the power to employ the 
dynamic of God. Some leaders today harness their 
schemes to the prejudices and lower passions of men. 
Let us harness ours to the energy of God. 

Love found its most glorious expression on Calvary, 
and in the perfect blending of these three is found the 
glory of God. Such is Jesus. 


34 


THE RICHES OF GOD : 35 


LIFE ETERNAL 


Oh God unseen I offer Thee 
All that I am, and naught withold. 
Help me to grasp with fingers bold 
The life that Thou hast given me. 


This life eternal is my own. 

I journey where I cannot see. 

Tis childhood’s fancy pure and free 
To higher forms divinely grown. 


For this new realm is not a star 
Lost in unknown infinity; 
°Trs in me, round me, nearer far 
Than all I touch, or taste, or see. 


And in the long communion blest 
I only am what I may give, 
I know but only as I live 

Yielding the baser for the best. 


PRAYER 


H, my Saviour, I would abide in Thee. Help me to 
know the continuance of the Christian life. Alas, 
my following of Thee has been occasional and my fellow- 
ship fragmentary. I have doubted only to wander in 
darkness and my forgetfulness has been my stone of 
stumbling. Help me to walk daily with Thee and con- 
scious of Thy pleasant company I shall be the bearer of 
blessing to my fellows. May no other interest claim my 
heart, and no other adventure my will. Send me forth 
with fresh courage to endure unto the end, and in the 
quiet of Thy secret place amid the turmoil of the struggle 
may this assurance be my strength—that I abide in Thee. 
Fill my breast, oh Lord, in increasing measure with Thy 
Spirit, and my life will be my witness that Thou art 
with me. Amen. 


AIT 
THE PEOPLE OF GOD 


God hath chosen thee to be a special people. 
—DBUTERONOMY 7: 6. 


REFORMER’S worth to the world can be tested by 

his conception of man. If man be but an animal, 

then he may become fat and remain filthy. If he be only 

an intelligence, he may be made clever and yet con- 

scienceless. If he be treated as purely and entirely spiri- 

tual, his improvement may end in sentiment,—a city in 

the clouds with no counterpart on earth. How human is 
Moses in his approach to this whole problem! 

Israel must be “ an holy” people. This word connotes 
separateness in the Hebrew. The Holy of Holies, for 
example, was preserved from the defiling presence of sin- 
ful men. Holiness was a barrier beyond which the people 
could not pass. For the same reason Sinai was forbidden 
to all but Moses; aye, and in this very chapter the logical 
conclusion of such a principle is illustrated, for in order 
to protect Israel the Canaanites were to be utterly 
destroyed. 

Christianity has made a difference. ‘‘ God sent not His 
Son into the world to condemn the world.” The holy man 
must still deny himself and take his cross, but it is only 
that he may the better lead others into the knowledge of 
the Savior. Again, they were to be a “ peculiar ” people. 
This signifies all that we mean by private property. 
What is your very own you care for diligently, and it soon 
bears the mark of your personality. So has God dealt 
with man through the ages. Alas, for the sins of men 
bringing grief, shame and death. Yet have there always 
been a multitude in whose lives the glory and the good- 
ness of God have been revealed. And they are the salt of 
the earth in every age. 

They were also a ‘ beloved” people, and this is God’s 
one reason for all His dealings with men and women. 
Love gives its best. He gave His only begotten Son. 


36 


THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 37 
PATIENCE 


Teach me the calm that soothes the even cool, 
The sweet content of nature ’neath the snow, 

The silent fullness of the trembling pool, 
Where water lilies grow. 


Show me the patience of the roses born 
To bloom awhile,—a lonely world’s delight, 
Kissed by the dewdrop on the lips of morn, 
Then withered low at night. 


Help me amid the sufferings of men 
To walk as surely as the shadows there, 
And sing the joy of hope’s return again 
Through caverns of despair. 


Here 1s my place of service. I shall seek, 
Undaunted by the vagrant fear and shame, 
To follow fame along the dizzy peak, 
Or die without a name. 


PRAYER 


H, gracious Father, we thank Thee for the company 

of our dear ones,—for bright youth and temperate 

age. Help us to put far from us all jealousy, envy and 

strife, that love may harvest the ripe fruits of loyalty, 

sincerity and joy. May we seek each other’s good, find- 

ing our sweetest Joy in mutual service. Sleeping or wak- 

ing, let Thy protecting arms be about us, and the years 

will find us growing in the likeness of our Father in 

heaven. Gather us at last in that better home on high 
where we shall be forever one. Amen. 


XIII 
THE TEMPLE OF GOD 


The building fitly framed together groweth unto an 
holy temple in the Lord.—EPuHEsIANS 2: 20-22. 


HE Ephesians were very proud of their magnificent 
Temple of Diana,—a gem of the most costly ma- 
terial and excellent workmanship. It had been burned 
down by a madman and the citizens vied with one an- 
other in their efforts to replace the gorgeous edifice. The 
building to which Paul refers, God is erecting out of the 
ruins of sin-stricken humanity. 

Do not mistake the word ‘ Church.” It is used well 
over a hundred times in the New Testament, but never to 
mean buildings of stone and lime. God’s dwelling-place 
is in the hearts of men and women, and this building 
which we call the Church is the great community of 
believing souls, 

The foundation, according to Paul, is the testimony of 
apostles and fathers. Through them the Gospel has 
reached us. We follow them as they followed Jesus, and 
the best support which Christian people can give to the 
Church is the upright life, loving devotion, and patient 
suffering. This is the rock upon which He builds. 

Christ is the chief cornerstone. In the Temple some of 
the stonse were of enormous size. Christ is the chief,— 
not. the topmost but at the most important point, at a 
difficult angle or on the edge of a cliff. So must the 
Church depend on Jesus. Without Him the building goes 
to pieces. 

The purpose of this building is that it be the holy 
dwelling-place of Jehovah. Yet is He not confined to 
temples made with hands. They who follow Jesus are 
the temples of the spirit and God dwelleth in them. This 
is only possible by abiding in Him and being transformed 
into His beautiful image. 

Cathedrals crumble to decay. Sometimes they fall a 
prey to man’s lust. But the building of God is eternal. 


38 


THE TEMPLE OF GOD. 39 
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST 


Bride of the King, the nations view 
The Christ in thee through ages all. 
Ah tender be thy heart, and true 
Thy Dear One to recall! 


If He be absent, wait. Again 
With holy sorrow hope to meet. 
His coming through the shadows then 
Thy glowing eyes will greet. 


Keep thou thy heart for One alone! 
No dread intruder steal thy smile! 

And oft beside love’s humble throne 
The silent hours beguile. 


PRAYER 


H, loving Father, give me a sense of Thy gracious 
presence all about me. Thine eyes are upon me, 
and my sin is known to Thee, but oh, how blessed it is to 
feel that Thou art here not to condemn but to forgive, 
and to guard me against all evil. Oh, Savior of men, who 
didst bear the anguish of temptation for me, grant me 
Thy fellowship as I struggle against the evil one. I am 
as the smoke scattered by the gale when Thou art not 
here. I lose my vision of the higher goal without Thee. 
Let me hear Thy voice only, my Lord, for then am I 
encouraged to suffer and be strong. Oh, Thou unseen ally 
of my soul, in Thee do I put my trust. Amen. 


XIV 
THE PRAISE OF GOD 


Let such as love thy salvation, say continually,—Let 
God be magnified.—Psatm 70: 4. 


HE Psalmist’s joy is demonstrative and reasonable. 

It is not the silly effusion of infancy. He had lived 

life hard. At the very hour of writing the enemy is at the 

gates. He can hear their vile taunts. The vulgar laugh 

of verse three comes from a brutal heart. Yet he is 

assured of victory. Is this unholy mirth? Ah, no! for 
God is greater than all the ills of earth. 

“Such as love thy salvation.” The last word here sig- 
nifies victory. At that time victory in the field meant 
destruction of armies, acceptance of the conqueror’s terms 
of peace, and passing under the yoke of the victor. When 
God conquers, it is that He may bring love and healing 
to the children of men. It is the victory of sun over 
shadow, of harvest over storm, of love over hate. 

In the individual soul is this victory won. The enemies 
of God are many there. Does He give you strength to 
foil the tempter’s power? Do you bend to His will, and 
plead for His blessing? 

Aye, and history is the field of His victory. Time and 
again His cause has seemed to pass from the cross to the 
grave, but it has arisen triumphant over all. In our own 
day we can read the story clearly. God must triumph. 
Oh, let the nations hear! 

But do we love His victory? The word for love means 
primarily to bend upwards from the plains like the moun- 
tains until they hide their heads in the heavens. Do our 
- hearts move up to God like this today? Be not stinted in 
your praise,—“ Let God be magnified.” And say it again 
and yet again like the Psalmist, till its echo be heard over 
all the world. 


40 


THE PRAISE OF GOD 41 


MY STRENGTH 


Oh God, Thou art my strength and stay, 
A clear Light brighter than the day 
And never dim, 
A loving Friend upon life’s way, 
Whose presence makes of toil and play 
A ceaseless hymn. 


How grateful 1s my heart to Thee! 
I thank Thee, Lord, on bended knee 
For all the good, 
And plead that Thou wilt pity me, 
Nor judge by what I fail to be, 
But what I would. 


Father, the mystery 1s deep. 

Let me not think Thy silence sleep 
Through endless time, 

For as the ages onward creep, 

Thy spirit to my soul will keep 
The pledge sublime. 


PRAYER 


Y soul is faint, Lord, with the thought of mortal 
need. How would I serve Thee in bringing others 
to a knowledge of Thy truth! but oh, I am not worthy to 
bear Thy name upon my lips. Purify me, rather, for Thy 
use! Cleanse me from every secret fault, and may my 
eyes behold, undimmed by selfish ambition, the triumph 
of Thy kingdom. Help me to unite with all good men 
and women in the service of Thy cause. Give all who 
labor for Thee a brotherly spirit that there may be no 
loss through strife or envy. Alas how few there be that 
give themselves in mind and body! Help me, then, to 
be a living sacrifice that my life may not be as a flower 
that fadeth early. Thou art my strength and with Thee 
the end is always victory. Amen. 


XV 
GOD ON TRIAL 
Prove me now, saith the Lord of Hosts —Mauacui 3: 10. 


T is necessary to prove God. He is unseen, unheard 
and untouched. The veil of flesh rebukes idle curi- 
osity—only in the secret place of the soul, when the harsh 
noises are stilled, may His voice be heard. No idol can 
represent Him and no picture uncover His beauty. Why 
should it be necessary to seek after Him? For the same 
reason that we seek education. It stirs our faculties and 
develops character. 

God invites such seeking. The prophet in this passage 
thinks of God after this fashion. He is not a puzzle 
which we may or may not discover. That is fatalism. 
Nor is religion a game of hide-and-seek in which God is 
somewhere near but entirely beyond our skill to find 
Him. This is agnosticism. It is no blind-man’s-buff in 
which we stumble around till some one takes pity on us. 
This is atheism. God is ever revealing Himself even as 
I spell the phonetic syllables for my child. Mystery sur- 
rounds this Being but He is ever disclosing His secret to 
such as seek after Him if haply they may find Him. 
“Seek and ye shall find.” 

This proof is varied. Nature is a beautiful picture. 
Do we know the artist? His will has all the proportion 
and symmetry of a classical design. Do we obey it? 
Jesus is the highest expression of His purpose for the 
world. Do weserve Him? Once upon a time they cruci- 
fied Him. The trouble is with ourselves. We do not take 
time to prove Him. Science will help, for she discovers 
to our blind souls wonders beyond our dreams. Philos- 
ophy offers invaluable aid in her pursuit of the absolute. 
But Faith is the triumphant conqueror, for she enters into 
the unseen and takes for her own the treasures of heaven. 

Is such a pursuit worth while? Try it and see. 


42 


GOD ON TRIAL 43 


THE CONFLICT 


Behold in search of transient fame 
The knights of blasphemy and fraud 
Enter the lists with loud acclaim 
To try a tilt with God. 


It is the careless cubist’s glee, 

With souls as barren deserts broad, 
In sadly perjured form and fee 

To take a fling at God. 


Ah, God 1s substance,—not a shade 
That wriggles from the lightning rod. 
He is the light that doth not fade, 
But say it softly,—God. 


Ah, God is in the summer rain, 
And cerulean sky, 

And earth would be a void again 
Should God Almighty die. 


PRAYER 


NTO the hills would I lift up my eyes. Thy 
dwelling-place is in the heavens. Yet art Thou 
near to whisper Thy love to every waiting heart. Praise 
be unto Thee, oh Lord, for the sense of Thy presence in 
the secret place of my soul. Help me to prove Thy 
boundless love and Thy willingness to bless in the trials 
of life. My mind has found Thee in the world around 
my feet, and my heart in the strong faith of Thy nearness 
amid the necessities of the days. Still more clearly would 
I see Thee. Draw me closer to Jesus my Lord that I 
may learn His secret and find the open way to Thy heart 
in His loving fellowship. Help me to be very sure of 
Thee, my God, until all my life is Thine. Amen. 


XVI 
THE HANDS OF GOD 


My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of 
mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. 
—PsauM 31: 15. 


HIS is the utmost height to which faith can climb. 

It is the faith of maturity. There is no protest in 

it; just a noble acknowledgment of the unchanging good- 
ness of God. It is not an attempt to explain the vicissi- 
tudes of life, but simply a personal understanding between 
the soul and its God, that all is well. A few verses above, 
when the Psalmist is in his darkest mood, he suddenly 
breaks out with the astonishing assertion,—‘ Thou hast 
put my feet in a large place.” Sorrow is a dungeon. 
Failure and worry are cruel chains, but faith is a palace. 
The grave is very narrow but the gates of heaven are wide. 

There is no suggestion of fatalism here. That is to say, 
life is not so arranged that God can gamble with our fate. 
In ancient times the fates wove out human destiny with- 
out direction or discretion. Ah, but God deals with us as 
rational individuals. He would have us codperate with 
Him to secure the end which He has in view, and in joy 
or in sorrow He is the same abiding Friend. There is 
always something in life which we cannot do for our- 
selves. God is the great alchemist, who purifies the 
atmosphere and fructifies the soil. He is the great 
architect, who plans the Kingdom of Heaven, and from 
whom come the visions of the better day, that visit the 
soul of man. And is He not in Christ the Redeemer so 
that evil is not allowed to wage successful war forever 
against the soul? Happy he whose times are in the 
Lord’s hands. 

The words might be taken to mean the period of history 
in which he lived. So we speak of the signs of the times. 
It was a day of chaos and unbelief. Yet his faith holds. 
We must strengthen ourselves in this faith today. God’s 
Kingdom is coming in God’s way and in God’s time. 

44 


THE HANDS OF GOD | 45 


WORRY 


Worry 1s a witch upon a moor 

In foulsome bogs her portion brewing, then, 

When night falls, stealing ’mong the haunts of men, 
Drugging with direful dreams the rich and poor. 


Her fatal draught hath three ingredients sure. 
Uncertainty and restlessness are first 
Together stirred, and discontent accursed 

Is later added. ’Tis a devil’s cure. 


What strength can stand against such treachery! 
To drink is but to die. Base slaves are we. 
Two angels then shall guard me night and day,— 
Patience to pray and Hope to light the way. 


Pll take my share of life and faithful be; 
Then hags may come or go, my soul is free. 


PRAYER 


ATHER, how swift are the days in their flight, and 
how little we treasure their sacred hours. Our life 
is but a breath, so soon do we pass from scenes of child- 
hood and age. The friends we loved are gathered to their 
fathers and we know them no more. The dreams that 
once enthused us fade from our memories. Young and 
old we meet the changes of fortune for good or ill and 
still the years move on. Help us to meditate upon the 
transitoriness of life. How brief it is and how sure is 
eternity! Well for us then, oh God, if we served Thee 
without stint, filling the hours of every day with earnest 
loving endeavor for Thy name’s sake. Take, then, our © 
moments and our days that under Thy direction we may 
serve Thee continually, and at the last in Thy good favor 
we shall rest with Thee forever. Amen. 


XVII 
IN RELIEF OF DOUBT 


Art thou he that should come, or look we for another? 
—LUKE 7: 19. 


OHN, humbled in prison, sought clearer light regard- 

ing Jesus. Not for a moment had he swerved from 

his original purpose. In contrast the multitudes had 

swung from John to Jesus, and in each case had expressed 

as little appreciation of the central truths for which both 

leaders stood. The Master’s treatment of these two cases 
is instructive. 

Jesus does not blame John for his inquiry. A dungeon 
is not a good place for a soul to grow in. Jesus entered 
into John’s difficulties, and forcibly yet kindly sent the 
inspiring message, “ Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be 
offended in me.” . 

Honest doubt is justifiable. God will not shirk a ques- 
tion. But He has His answer always ready, if we have 
eyes to see. There is a right and a wrong way of asking 
a question. Some people seem too anxious to defend their 
doubts. It would be better to take God’s side. It is not 
surprising that He does not. answer those who are proud 
of their unbelief. It is remarkable that Jesus did not say 
directly ‘““I am the Messiah.” Further questions would 
have arisen. So does God leave men to think for them- 
selves. There will be no rending of the clouds. The life 
lived in surrender to Jesus is sufficient proof of His 
power. The evidence is not in heaven nor in hades, nor 
at any given point of the compass, but in your own heart 
and mind. 

Jesus is also very tender in His criticism of the multi- 
tude. They are “ children sitting in the market-place.” 
Yet His words are severe. They were spoiled children, 
whom nothing could please,—neither music nor mourning. 
John was a little impatient, but their ideals were all 
wrong. Many seekers err either because they seek the 
wrong things or because they seek in the wrong way. 


46 


IN RELIEF OF DOUBT 47 


THE CLEARER ROAD 


Belief is not the easy thing 
That scoffers say. 
The labored steps that slowly bring 
Along the way 
A seeking soul, not all men know, 
The weary wat while shadows grow, 
Trusting hard that morn will show 
By clearer road 
The hills of God. 


Thrice happy he to whom 1s given, 
Whoe’er he be, 
Daily to ope the gates of heaven 
For all to see 
The golden gleam on snow clad hills, 
And dancing light on rocks and rills. 
The radiant earth His presence fills. 
Such faith is joy, 
Let none destroy. 


PRAYER 


EAVENLY Father, we thank Thee for the joy of 
quietness,—for the stillness of the woods, the 
privacy of prayer, the solitary wandering of the mind, 
for calm repose and for the soul’s retirement amid the 
blare of business. Show me the way into Thy secret 
place, oh Lord, where the voices of earth are hushed. Oh, 
do Thou rebuke the riot of our words and the clash of our 
opinions. Speak Thou to the roaring furnace and the 
grinding wheel,—‘ Be still and know that I am God.” 
Then shall we hear Thy voice again when the giants of 
steel are sleeping. Teach us the secrets of the fields where 
Thy work is done in silence and Thy love is lived, not 
spoken. Oh, may we hear the sweet voice from Galilee, 
“ Let not your heart be troubled.”” How blessed are they 
that trust in Thee! Bring us at last into the eternal home 
where there is peace for ever more. Amen. 


wR: 
; 
Leg! 


Oe 





JESUS 


XVIII 
WHO IS JESUS? 
Christ ts God’s.—I CorINTHIANS 3: 23. 


T would be quite impossible to recount all the concep- 
tions of Jesus that have visited the minds of men 
during the centuries. It is not too much to say that vast 
numbers have been disappointed with Jesus. The Cross 
has remained a mystery to them without an appeal, an 
offence without an explanation. The difficulty has often 
been that many have formulated their own ideas as to 
just how God should reveal Himself. They tell Him 
what evidence they are prepared to accept or reject. 
Now, God has chosen to reveal Himself in Jesus, and to 
miss that revelation is to miss God. 

Paul uses two words to define more accurately this 
phrase. Christ the power of God and the Wisdom of 
God, I Corinthians 1: 23, 24. The former we immedi- 
ately expect to find in the very nature of the Divine. 
The memorials of God’s might are everywhere around us. 
But where is there power enough to win the victory over 
sin, and to lift humanity up to God? It is in the Cross 
of Calvary. Christ is God’s response to human need. 
Man’s sin is a challenge to God. His answer is Calvary. 
There, amid the blood and pain, He says, ‘‘ I have loved 
thee with an everlasting love.” The response of human 
hearts that bow before the Cross is repentance unto life. 
The greatest tragedy in the world is sin, and the only 
place where its darkness is dispelled is at Calvary. Jesus 
is the power of God. 

He is also the wisdom of God. Life seems fragmentary 
and purposeless. Distracting forces tear the garment of 
the years to shreds. Science, in denying responsibility, 
does not take away the sting of disappointment, and 
philosophy, in relationalizing it, does not save us from its 
blight. God does not stand aloof. He gathers the loose 
threads and weaves a new robe of beauty in Jesus. 


50 


WHO IS JESUS? | 51 


FAITH 


Walk Thou beside me, Jesus, keep my feet 
All through the mountain track and weary street, 
And I shall find in Thee my safe retreat 

At noon or night. 


Lord, when the angry world disturbs the air, 
And friends forsake we hoped that time would spare, 
When coldness and deceit frown everywhere, 

A cruel blight, 


Then be Thou near to whisper to my heart 

“Come unto Me from all the world apart,” 

And bright above the gloomy hills will start 
The morning light. 


For I must wander on through doubt and fear 

With but Thy love to stay the struggling tear, 

Till faith, that to my weakness proves Thee near, 
Is lost in sight. 


PRAYER 


H, God of mercy, we beseech Thee to look in pity 
upon the suffering of mankind. Alas, for the mil- 
lions that know no rest, hungry, diseased, stricken with 
fear! Let the heavens open that blessing may fall like 
dew upon the weak and the heavy laden. Touch our 
hearts so that, conscious of the world’s need, we may do 
our best in Thy name to make the burden lighter. May 
we see Jesus as He walked in the cities of Galilee, healing 
the sick and feeding the hungry. Help us to carry His 
gospel far and near that the sorrows of the world may be 
relieved. Into the shadow of the Cross may the nations 
come that they may find healing for soul and body in the 
eternal love of God. Amen. 


XIX 
THE NAMES OF JESUS 


That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son 
of God.—JoHN 20: 30-31. 


HE one purpose of the Gospels is to show Jesus to 
the world. This is the name by which He was first 
known as a little child in Nazareth on His mother’s knee 
and later as the man who was tempted in the desert, who 
prayed on the hillside, and who wept by the grave of His 
friend. This is the common starting-point for our under- 
standing of Him. Born of a woman, made under the law, 
His human nature was real. He was the Son of Man. 

But He was also Christ. Supremely man in the high- 
est capacity and fulfilment of man’s life in the present, 
so was He the fulfilment of the past. All truth led up to 
Him. Others were sparks of the divine flame. He was 
the fire. The priest after the order of Melchizedec, the 
prophet greater than Moses, the king greater than Sol- 
omon—God had anointed Him a different kind of Mes- 
siah from the caricature of popular expectation. He was 
the ideal Servant and therefore Master of all. 

He was the Son of God. This was the fundamental 
fact in Christ’s consciousness. “I and the Father are 
one,” He said, and our Sonship is only realized in Him. 
Nothing can explain this away. Insanity, say some, but 
His teaching does not support that. Vanity, say others, 
but He said “ I am meek and lowly in heart.” Deceit, we 
are told, but the Cross still stands. Jesus was all He said 
He was and more than we can ever put into words. He 
stands complete only as Lord Jesus Christ. 

What makes us believe this? Signs, says John, and 
the careworn world still loves Him, learns His will, and 
finds new life in His redeeming name. 


52 


THE NAMES OF JESUS © 53 


LIFE LADEN 


It 1s a Soul with deep life-laden eyes 
That gazes from yon gilded cross, for pain 
The utmost toll of sacrifice had ta’en 
Tull flesh became as fragile as His sighs. 
It 1s a Spirit from a world that lies 
Beyond the dreams of sense, no guilty stain 
To mar His brow, for ruthless men had slain 
This comely visitant from Paradise. 


How silent, yet how strangely eloquent 
Those peaceful lips! Softly He calls to me 
Alone, as from diviner spaces sent, 
For I have long forgotten,— Follow me.” 


Pure as a lily in a rain soaked sod, 
His raptured eyes behold the face of God. 


PRAYER 


H, Thou loving Comforter, we praise Thee for Thy 
gentle ministry of healing among the suffering chil- 

dren of men. Thy hand unseen is like the soft kiss of the 
sun in spring and from the couch of pain the tortured 
body is raised to new life. Into the night of our despair 
cometh the whisper of Thy consolation and our hearts 
take hope again. Never is the burden too heavy while 
Thou art near. Always the dawning beckons us at Thy 
coming to new scenes of beauty and new labors of love. 
And in the darkest hour of earthly anguish when we are 
left alone with our sorrow, Thy presence is as a cooling 
fountain where we taste relief. Oh, teach us how to enjoy 
Thy comfort of love, and amid the extremity of life’s 
sorrow we shall be saved by the patience of hope. Amen. 


xx 
FAITH IN CHRIST 
Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.—Acts 20: 21. 


HEN doubt assails we should remember the sig- 

nificance of faith to Jesus. ‘ All things are pos- 

sible to him that believeth.” The promises in the sacred 

record are always given to the great believers. They are 

the conquerors, the martyrs, and the pioneers. These are 

they who ask great things of God, expect great things 
from God, and attempt great things for God. 

What, then, is faith? It is not credulity with its big 
appetite for the miraculous and the magical? It is not 
superstition,—the recrudescence of prehistoric tendencies. 
To know the objective of faith is the first essential. Ac- 
cording to the New Testament it is not faith that saves, 
but faith in Christ. To what aspect of His nature did 
Jesus turn the thoughts of His followers? Not to His 
body! It was human. Men did not know Him to be the 
Son of God when they passed Him on the streets. His 
divinity lay in His consciousness, in His ego, or to use a 
modern expression, in His selfhood. “I and the Father 
are one.” Our faith, then, must correspond to the nature 
of its objective. It must be spiritual, inward, and per- 
sonal. Arguments with regard to the physical nature of 
Jesus move one little, because they are materialistic and 
remote from human experience. Faith grasps the eternal 
element in the personality of our Lord, and emphasizes 
two things,—first, the authority, and second, the power 
of Jesus. Jesus has the authority of God for the con- 
science. Perfect life is inconceivable under any other 
conditions than His word allows. In that sense it is abso- 
lute and final. It promises also a transfigured life for the 
individual and a transformed state for the world. Oh, 
the unrealized possibilities of faith in Christ! 


54 


FAITH IN CHRIST | 6 


MY FAITH 


If heaven be but a dream ue 
And faith is vain, Ey 
Then would I slumber on 
And dream again. 


— 


If goodness end with time, 
—No more to me 

In death than river rhyme,— 
Pll better be. 


If love be crushed in scorn 
Beneath man’s store, 

Deeper through night and morn 
Pll love the more. 


If mockers wreck the sky 
And worship cease, 

Pll guard with jealous eye 
My faith’s increase. 


If loved ones call me not, 
That tarry late, 
Still, here on bended knee 

Pll watch and wait. 


If false the Christ I crave; 
The joy He brings 
Will make me willing slave 
Of better things. 


PRAYER 


ORD God of Hosts, amid the changing scenes of 

time we find Thee ever the same, loving and true. 
Thou art able to understand and help. May we walk 
oftener the road that leads to Thy presence. There is 
found blessing for all. Amen. 


Te eaiailiatimaiiene seen Te 


XXI 
A LIVING FAITH 
I know that my Redeemer liveth.—Jos 19: 25. 


HE confidence of these words is inspiring. This suf- 
fering servant of God had wrestled long with the 
problem of his own failure. It was little comfort to know 
that others suffered like himself, or that the wicked who 
seemed to prosper, were hastening to destruction. His 
only hope comes like a glimmer at first, but it shines more 
brightly with the passing hour,—‘“ I know that my Re- 
deemer liveth.” It is the triumphant alternative of faith, 
—-the same cry which has come from the fires of martyr- 
dom, the fearful prisons, and the shades of death in all 
ages,—that faith which counts God more than friends, or 
home, or children, even life itself, and before which death 
has lost its sting and the grave its victory. In these 
words Job accepted his lot, renewed his trust, and read 
the meaning of his life. 

Life’s sorrow is not the outcome of caprice, for all have 
their share, irrespective of character, color, or clime. It 
is universal. Pain is charged with a mission. In the 
Hastern cults the only possible attitude is resignation. 
There is no hope,—no consolation. But the Christian 
says, ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth.” He says 
“Yea” to God, not simply, “ It must be, I cannot help 
it,” but rather, “‘ God’s way is the best.” This is my 
discipline to make me purer, nobler, more patient. Jesus, 
the Prince of sufferers——revealed the new meaning of 
pain. , 

Sorrow, natural and necessary, is also sacred. God is 
love. He proclaims the fact. He creates the darkness 
and the silence, but He will do His children no harm. In 
joy or in sorrow, in life or in death, in riches or in pov- 
erty, ours is the good and Thine the glory,—oh, our God. 
He lives. That is to say,—there is a God; He is present 
with us now; He is our Savior. Then life is all divine. 


56 : 


A LIVING FAITH , 57 
THE RESURRECTION 


Season of new life returning 
All the landscape to adorn, 
Welcome to our hearts in mourning 
On this Resurrection morn. 


In the budding branches madly 
Song birds stir the trees again, 

And the world is smiling gladly 
Messenger of hope to men. 


Through the vernal woodlands shining 
Comes the love of God to view, 
And in tender hearts repining 
Christ the Lord 1s risen anew. 


PRAYER 


LMIGHTY God, in whom are hid all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge, fill our minds with truth 
that will set us free from superstition and ignorance. 
Help us to grow in spiritual understanding that we may 
attain to maturity in Christ Jesus. We deplore the errors 
that weaken our service of Thee, but use us, oh God, 
where and when Thou wilt, making us more than con- 
querors through Christ, that loved us.. Grant us patience 
to bear our sorrows, and in the day of weakness may 
there come to us a new revelation of Thy strength. Bless 
us in Thy service. May ours be the victory over every 
enemy within and without. Amen. 


XXII 
THE GEOGRAPHY OF FAITH 
Seek those things which are above.—Co.ossiAns 3: 1. 


HE wide land of faith is forever unseen. At no point 

is there any physical contact with it at all. It is 

the realm of the Spirit around us and within, of which 
Jesus thought when He said,—‘“ In spirit and in truth.” 
Religion involves three things,—first, a simple belief in 
an unseen existence, in itself essentially eternal; secondly, 
the rearrangement of one’s thoughts in accordance with 
that view of life; and thirdly, a life in keeping with this 
spiritual outlook. The Bible is full of examples. Abra- 
ham went in faith to seek a better country. Moses made 
an experiment in government, because he believed in God. 
In both instances faith operates in the unseen. They did 
not ask God to unveil the years that they might see the 
end of their ventures. They went into the unseen, for 
they trusted in the Lord. Again faith’s country is up- 
ward. The sky is very pure. How clear is the sunlight! 
How different from the cold, soggy, oily mud beneath. 
It is this contrast that makes us look upward, when we 
pray. ‘Seek those things that are above.” John saw 
the New Jerusalem descending from God out of heaven. 
It is faith in Jesus Christ. Out of our grief, bitterness, 
loss, and sin, we look to Jesus, and in His fellowship walk 
the higher way above the fear and pain of the vale below. 
Again faith says—forward. Not to the heavens only 
must we look. Life must be lived in the world as we 
know it with all its joy and sorrow. The triumph of faith 
is not postponed till the resurrection. Faith speaks in 
terms of duty and sacrifice and of victory here and now. 


58 


THE GEOGRAPHY OF FAITH 59 


SECURITY 


Let me not like a leaf be blown 
Upon a fickle wind, 

Nor lie upon the way a stone 
Purposeless and blind; 


But like a seed in season cast 
Into the willing soil 

To bear when many days are past, 
A harvest for man’s toil. 


Let me abide in Thee, dear Lord, 
For then my life is free 

To bear, obedient to Thy word, 
Frwt for eternity. 


PRAYER 


RACIOUS Father, keep alive in us the spirit of 
venture,—in our business that we may be more dili- 
gent and more earnest in our pursuit of all the good. 
May no failure rob us of hope and no personal shortcom- 
ing hinder us from high endeavor. If the way seems long 
and difficult, let us fear not but rather see more clearly 
the end achieved, and if we be privileged to reach our 
goal, let us not stoop to worship the work of our hands. 
Lift our eyes ever upward to the hills from whence 
cometh our aid. We would remember Him who gave 
Himself for others. In His Spirit let us dare to labor and 
we shall not have lived in vain. Amen. 


XXIII 
THE POSSIBILITIES OF FAITH 


All things are possible to him that believeth. 
—Marxk 9: 23. 


HIS is one of the hidden treasures of the Bible. The 
little Greek definite article turns this collection of 
words into a noun. It reads,—‘ What a thing to say,— 
‘if thou canst!’” Jesus was surprised. Generally needy 
sufferers said,—‘ If Thou wilt.” But this man ques- 
tioned Christ’s power. Is it not true that the spirit of 
our generation is found in this phrase? Our faith 1s con- 
ditioned. It lacks joyousness, supremacy, and power. 
Jesus called that state of mind unbelief. Our age is 
chiefly peculiar for what it does not believe. Haltingly 
and often with unconcern men say to Jesus,—‘ If Thou 
canst.” “If Thou wilt” is a prayer; “If Thou canst ” 
is a challenge. Listen to Jesus,—“ all things are possible 
to them that believe.” 

The poor man was speaking through his tears, and 
sometimes the connecting words are apt to be washed 
away in the flood. The stricken heart is not always logi- 
cal. He could recite his sorrow, and how accurately! 
Sorrow is a good memorizer. There is some excuse, then, 
for his broken heart. ‘‘ If Thou canst do anything, have 
compassion on my boy.” Agony and despair, failure and 
suffering, loneliness and tragedy cry, ‘ If Thou canst! ” 
And the Master still replies, ‘‘ What a question to ask. 
All things are possible to them that believe.” The fault 
is often not that we have not tried enough, but that we 
have not believed enough. Does anyone say,—“I can- 
not be anything but what Iam.” Well, Christ will make 
the past as if it had not been and the future as you never 
hoped it to be. But such faith is lacking, because our age 
is morally unfit for it. The machinery is in splendid con- 
dition, brains are in motion, ideas are flooding the mar- 
ket, but the heart must be touched. Christian faith is 
not a forlorn hope; it is a triumphant certainty. 


60 


THE POSSIBILITIES OF FAITH 61 
IN PEACE 


Lord, hear my prayer, 
Unworthy though I be 
To venture where 
The pure of heart may see 
The quiet grandeur of Thy holy place, 
Where grace and truth hold converse face to face. 


Lord, let this night 
Of lonely brooding pass. 
Hasten the Light 
In whose effulgent glass 
I may behold the promise of the day 
Across whose sky no clouds shall ever stray. 


Close Thou my eyes 
To the soft strains of peace 
From shaded skies. 
Let sense his clamor cease. 
I shall forget my sorrows here and there, 
And all my slumber be a silent prayer. 


PRAYER 


UR Father, Thou art not confined to temples made 
with hands. Thy Spirit is everywhere, seeking 
whom He may bless. Be Thou near, we implore Thee, to 
all who are bearing the burden of loneliness. If they are 
mourning the loss of dear ones in death, help them to 
know that their separation is but for a little while, for a 
thousand years are as a day with the Lord. If their loved 
ones are far away by land and sea, may they gather 
round Thy footstool together, for there they are one. No 
land, no sea can ever divide those who are in Christ Jesus. 
If loving hearts have become strange by human passion, 
do Thou in Thy love make reconciliation possible. But 
above all things may they learn that it is never lonely 
where God is. Amen. 


XXIV 
THE GREAT INVITATION 


Come unto me... and I will give you rest. 
—MatrHew 11: 28. 


HE Bible is an open book for all who go to it with 

human need pleading for satisfaction. Here the 

soul may find Jesus, whose faith is sunshine and whose 
service is freedom. 

A. The Appeal of the Gospel. It is one of the most 
beautiful words in common use, whose symbol is an open 
door with a happy welcome inside. How simple it is! 
The humblest child can understand and, like little chil- 
dren, we should say, “ Jesus I come.” How human it is! 
Jesus knew the struggles of the heart. He came not as a 
mighty conqueror nor a profound philosopher. Rather, 
He is the embodiment of humanity’s sufferings in all ages, 
and therefore is the heart of man drawn to Him by the 
magnetism of Calvary. The Cross is eternal because of 
what it is and does. How universal is the appeal! 
Thought is the most universal attribute of life and sor- 
row a good second, but in the company of Jesus we learn 
that it may become an angel in disguise. It is Jesus who 
speaks, and in Him is found the utmost satisfaction of 
all earth’s desires. 

B. The Promise of the Gospel. Jesus does not offer 
any material benefit. His is a spiritual reward, just what 
Wordsworth called ‘‘ The central feeling of all happiness.” 
It is rest from worry, for sometimes all that the heart can 
do is trust; rest from sin with its guilt, shame, and power; 
rest from labor, for He prepares us for our task and wel- 
comes us home ‘when it is done. 

This is the calm in the heart of the storm, the moles 
amid the discord, and the whisper in the ace What 
bread is to the hungry and home to the weary, so is 
Jesus to the burdened heart. His ‘“ Come” is the gate- 
way to the treasure-house of God. 


62 


THE GREAT INVITATION 63 


HIS WELCOME 


Speak Thou again, Oh Christ, that I may hear 
“Come unto me,” 

And my weak heart will answer, with a tear,— 
“T come to Thee.” 

Oh when the luring voice within me deep 
Thy pleading scorns, 

Help me to see, dear Lord,—and seeing weep,— 
Thy Crown of Thorns. 


Speak Thou again that all the world may hear 
“Come unto me,” 

And nations groping through the night of fear 
New light will see. 

Breathe Thou, dear Lord, this welcome sound 
On every wind, 

For in Thy service is true freedom found 
For all mankind. 


PRAYER 


H, loving Saviour, awaken in my heart the longing 
for Thy deeper fellowship. Too often have I 
walked without Thee, and have not learned the secret of 
Thy holy calm. Strange voices have called me from Thy 
side, and I have yielded to my sorrow. Oh, never let me 
be where Thy voice cannot reach me! In this very hour 
help me to rise up and follow Thee with a new ardor of 
devotion. Oh, take the shadows from my eyes that I 
may never doubt Thy leadership, and in the strength of 
Thy purpose let me continue in Thy way. To Thee, oh 
Lord, I come weak and erring; with Thee would I go as 
Thou seest best; and in Thee shall I find the uttermost 
depths of love. Let me hold Thy hand, my Savior, and as 
I labor for Thee, Thou shalt lead me into peace that 
passeth all understanding. Amen. 


XXV 
THE ETERNAL QUESTION 


What must I do to be saved?—MattHnw 19: 16; 
JOHN 6: 28; Acts 16: 30. 


N these three verses the common consciousness gives 
expression to its need of God. They represent the 
highest point of attainment, the ideal life of which every 
man has a glimpse sooner or later. In each there is a 
confession of personal shortcoming, a cry for emancipa- 
tion, an appeal for self-realization. These three ques- 
tions came from people on quite different intellectual 
planes, and were prompted by different emotions. The 
rich young ruler would scarcely consent to be bracketed 
with the Roman jailer in social status, or in any other 
way. Yet from the heart of each came the same cry. No 
man is exempt from this experience, and salvation means, 
first of all, to be delivered from the shame, the power, the 
guilt, and the iniquity of sin. It is not as if a bad con- 
science were reserved for a special type of man. No one 
need commit a heinous crime to possess it. Lost oppor- 
tunity, duties shirked, unfaithfulness, refusal to obey the 
light as it comes, selfishness,—these are things that make 
human hearts bow in sorrow and shame. It was the re- 
spectable churchgoer of the time who asked of Jesus, 
“What must I do to work the works of God?” 

But salvation jalso involves the planting within the 
heart of new principles and powers, which will produce a 
harvest of good for God and man. No man is ever 
exactly the same after meeting Christ, any more than a 
country is the same after a revolution. The Christian 
life is a rebuke, a challenge, an amendment to the stand- 
ards of the world. 

The rich young ruler who seemed to patronize Christ 
went away surprised and disappointed. The ideal life is 
more than an inheritance. The curious crowd walked no 
more with Him. The Philippian jailer was baptized. He 
asked for “ Salvation.” 


64 


THE ETERNAL QUESTION | 65 


MY SAVIOR 


Dawn of a summer day, 

Birth of the bloom in May, 

Starting of love’s sweet way, 
My Savior! 

And oh, what deep delight 

Fills my heart noon and night, 

Walking in heaven’s light 
With Jesus! 


Back in the locust years, 

Down in the vale of tears, 

Deep in the night of fears, 
My Savior, 

Gladly I met Him there, 

Coming my load to bear, 

Stranger so wondrous fair, 
My Jesus. 


Oh, could I show you how 
Cares from the furrowed brow 
Charms away then and now 
My Savior. 
For Thee Pll watch and pray 
Until the break of day; 
When shadows flee away, 
My Jesus. 


PRAYER 


EAR Lord and Father, Thy children trust Thee, and 

in their need bow to receive Thy blessing. Day is 

night without Thee and plenty is famine when Thou art 

not nigh. Hope of our hearts, show us the everlasting 

witness of Thy love, even the Cross of Calvary, and may 

its brightness reflecting the glory of God guide us unerr- 

ing through the valleys of fear. In silence speak, Lord, 
and Thy servants shall hear. Amen. 


XXVI 
PROGRESSIVE SALVATION 


Now is our salvation nearer than when we belveved. 
—Romans 13: 11. 


E all have some personal ambition which we long 

to see accomplished. The hardest thing is to 

wait till the time is ripe for it. The most shameful thing 
is to seek the reward without the sacrifices. 

A. The beginning of salvation. A comparison is sug- 
gested. ‘‘ Than when ye believed,’’—there is the starting 
point. Christ comes into existence for the individual at 
that moment of committal and surrender. In every life 
there is a dead past with which we delight to keep com- 
pany. Without it the Christian life is an enigma. One 
might as well try to explain the sunlight without the sun. 
What is this experience? It is like the birth of a child 
bringing joy to a mother’s heart; like the birth of an 
ideal in a young man’s life, inspiring and compelling. So 
is Christ born in us. Some speak of this as a moral 
union, but the people who need it most are least able to 
make use of it. There must be a closer fellowship with 
this living Christ. This is the mystical union of the New 
Testament,—not irrational for the Gospel explains itself, 
but mystical because no other experience in life ap- 
proaches it in intensity, depth, and practical worth. It 
is the supreme venture of faith, whereby trusting no 
longer in self, we commit our souls to Christ for time 
and eternity. 

B. The end of salvation. Evolution is the working 
out of some principle unseen at the beginning. The 
Christian life is all contained in that first experience of 
conversion,—deliverance from sin, likeness to Christ and 
devotion to His kingdom. Salvation is viewed here not 
in its absolute relationship but as modified by human 
conditions. It is a pressing forward to wider knowledge 
and deeper fellowship. 


66 


PROGRESSIVE SALVATION | 67 


GOOD WISHES 


The record that the years will write, 
Faint heart, be brave! 

No stain will mar the pages white, 
If wishes save. 


When round thee, in an evil hour, 
Temptations brood, 

May kindly heaven grant thee power 
To will the good. 


And should the busy ways of life 
Through mazes bend, 

God give thee, in the double strife, 
An honest friend! 


When frowns the midnight dark and long 
And chills you through, 

May hope still sing his old-time song, 
And love be true! 


Or if the sun of fortune smile 
With giddy ray, 

Rest in the sheltered glade awhile 
In peace to pray. 


If in the garden of thy heart 
Some blight should fall, 

May flowers from the tear-drop start 
At love’s sweet call! 


PRAYER 


Gye Father in Heaven, with simple faith we turn to 

Thee again for wisdom and encouragement. Let 
not strife make us scornful nor success make us careless, 
but with unquestioning obedience help us to seek the 
extension of Thy kingdom by our loving service. Amen. 


XXVII 
THE CHRISTIAN CAREER 
Follow me. —MattTrHew 4: 19. 


HERE are four steps in the making of a Christian. 
A. At the feet of Jesus. “ Depart from me,” said 
Peter. This is superstition. Christ says, “Come unto 
Me.” Dagon inspires terror. God is love. Yet here is 
found the spirit of reverence and repentance without 
which the work of Christ cannot be accomplished. Con- 
tact with Jesus awakens a sense of guilt which He alone 
can relieve. Every Christian is first of all a sinner seek- 
ing the Savior. 

B. By the side of Jesus. The Lord received Peter as 
he was, with all his faults. “Thou art Simon.” God 
does not want us to imitate others. Artificial flowers are 
sometimes difficult to detect, but God is not deceived. 
The new name—Cephas—was not the adding of a few 
letters to his title. Jesus discovered and revealed merit 
hitherto unsuspected. We are told that the Master 
“looked on him,”—a look that Peter remembered long 
afterwards. It was in this moment of mutual under- 
standing that Peter became the friend of Jesus. 

C. At the command of Jesus. “ Follow Me.” This 
was Peter’s most difficult lesson. Only the years of devo- 
tion to Jesus could teach the weak and wilful disciple to 
forget himself and be lost in His Lord. The scholar must 
have more than a passing acquaintance with his books. 
To be a disciple one must learn unquestioning obedience. 

D. In the service of Jesus. Peter was called away 
from the familiar fishing nets to assist Jesus. Into other 
lands he was privileged to bear the good tidings of salva- 
tion. God has service for all His children, and apostles 
we may be without suffering martyrdom or braving the 
dangers of heathen lands. Your world is to be saved for 
Jesus and there is something that you only can do. In 
doing it faithfully and patiently you reach the climax of 
the Christian career. 


68 


THE CHRISTIAN CAREER 69 


THE THREE GRACES 


Faith holds the truth with trembling hands 
Yet firm with grim solicitude,— 

A bold reply to doubts demands, 
And noble trust in all the good. 


Hope points to where the skyline dips 
To meet the long extended plain, 
And murmurs oft with eager lips 
Of larger life and richer gain. 


While Love beneath the burden bent, 
Walks the long way that lies between. 
A palace is his humble tent, 
Where fellow pilgrims rest at e’en. 


PRAYER 


ORD of the sunlight, grant us the grace of cheerful- 
ness. Forgive our idle moping and moody fretful- 
ness. Save us from being disagreeable amongst our 
fellows that we may be known more for our smiles than 
for sighs. Help us in the enjoyment of our daily pleas- 
ures that we may be happy without being foolish and 
satisfied without incontinence. Preserve in us a simple 
mind that, like little children, we may find our sweetest 
delights within ourselves. Make us quick to see the 
lovely graces of the world about us, that we may sing 
with the birds, skip like the lambs, and blush like the 
flowers. May we pitch our tent where the valleys laugh 
and sing, and when the stormy darkness descends, keep 
us hoping for the roseate dawn of peace. Amen. 


XXVIII 
THE CHRISTIAN SECRET 
Abide in him. —I JoHN 2: 28. 


ESUS makes a fourfold call upon the souls of men— 
“Come unto Me,” “ Learn of Me,” “ Follow Me,” 
“Abide in Me.” Our attitude should be trust, accept- 
ance, and surrender. Some men do a great injustice to 
Christian experience by disparaging its emotional quality. 
Quiet, sedate, and conventional minds are apt to fall into 
this error. Intellectualism may be just as reprehensible 
as emotionalism, for logical consistency is not the whole 
of reality! We do not know Christ in the New Testament 
sense as a philosophy. He is more than a balance of 
probabilities. We know Him by communion with Him. 
Think of the part emotion plays in everyday life. The 
nervous process is the condition of intellectuality and so 
in any work on the science of mind a large amount of 
space is given to the discussion of feeling and sensation. 
In poetry, music, and dramatic art the hidden chord is 
emotion. Think of the power of love! A marriage with- 
out love is misery beyond words, and union with Christ 
without love is an utter impossibility. The reason is 
simple. This is a union between personalities. It is not 
so in other religions, but Christianity is adherence to the 
living Person of Christ. Therefore He said, ‘‘ Abide in 
Me.” This union is illustrated by the picture of the vine. 
It traces the origin, the sustenance, and the growth of the 
Christian life. The branch grows out and draws its 
strength from the stem. If this relationship be interfered 
with, growth ceases. So are we related to Christ by faith 
and love, but many souls are withered, limp, and dead 
for lack of union with Him who is the source of all life. 
The Church is just such a tree. Every leaf, twig, and 
branch is held together by a common relationship to the 
stem. So we who are in Christ are bound together by our 
common experiences, and we have fellowship one with 
the other. 


70 


THE CHRISTIAN SECRET 71 


IN NEED 


In lone humility I pray, 

Forgive the folly of this day, 

For my poor heart is prone to stray 
From Thee, my Lord. 


No mortal mind can ever know 
Why in the slough I sink so low. 
With tearful longing then I go 
To Thee, my Lord. 


Thy truth ws still the surest way. 
Oh let me then Thy will obey, 
That I may live from day to day 
With Thee, my Lord. 


The joys of earth pass quickly by 
Inke clouds across a summer sky. 
Let me find peace that cannot die 
In Thee, my Lord. 


PRAYER 


LMIGHTY God who hast made us for Thyself, we 
bow before Thee in faith and love. We thank Thee 
for the rich endowment which Thou hast given to each 
one of us. For our bodies that are the servants of our 
wills. May they be preserved from accident and ailment. 
Help us to have command over ourselves that our bodies 
may be instruments of righteousness. We thank Thee for 
our minds by which we become conscious of Thee. Help 
us to love the truth sincerely so that no error may ever 
hide Thee from us, and if for the moment we see through 
a glass darkly may we have patience to labor and pray 
for the open vision of eternal reality. In the deeper 
places of our life, oh Lord, enable us to find fellowship 
with Thee. Amen. 


XXIX 
THE FRIENDSHIP OF JESUS 
Ye are my friends—Joun 15: 14. 


LESSED is the man who can make friends and keep 

them! What a charm this fine word has upon the 

lips of Jesus! It is so human. Jesus loved and valued 

highly the close companionship of good men. Here He 

claims their sympathy and help. Before Him lay Geth- 

semane, Calvary, and the tomb. Is it any wonder that 
He longed for their devotion? 

“No longer do I call you slaves.” Jesus had often used 
that word as in the parables, and it fitly describes the 
relationship between God and His people under the law. 
Even the first disciples had to be treated in this fashion, 
for there was progress in their relationship to Jesus. The 
slave is not a person, but an instrument (verse 15). He 
does not enter into his master’s plans. He must have no 
mind of his own, and he is too far beneath his master’s 
level ever to be called friend. Friendship is only secured 
on the basis of equality. “ No longer slaves but friends.” 
The difference between them is that between a guide and 
a slave-driver. The former you are free to follow. He 
puts the rope around you and together you climb the 
slippery paths. The slave-driver puts shackles on your 
feet and a burden on your back. With his whip he 
scourges you on, and forward you must go or perish by 
the way. No wonder Paul said, “ The law of the spirit 
of life hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” 
The only master now is the Spirit of Christ,—constrain- 
ing, restraining, and sustaining,—and where the Spirit of 
the Lord is, there is liberty. Too many, alas, regard the 
Christian life as a form of slavery with all its drudgery. 
God does not want to make you prisoners, but friends, 
near and dear to Him, and Jesus makes you sit at His 
own table. 


72 


THE FRIENDSHIP OF JESUS 73 


SHEKING 


All through the woods I passed 

Pierced by the thorns and groping for the way. 

Then as the darkness bowed to greet the day, 
I reached my goal at last. 


Welcome spake aloud 

From every window and from every tree, 

And there were tears in my Lord’s eyes to see 
My dripping head low-bowed. 


Oh, to forget the way 
In the warm splendor of His secret place! 
And in the quiet radiance of His face 

I live but for today. 


PRAYER 


ATHER, hear us while we pray for all noble and 
worthy souls neglected and forgotten. If love has 
slighted them, help them to see the deeper meaning of 
human passion, and if they should suffer through lack of 
appreciation for service rendered to others, help them, 
like Jesus, to feel increasing joy only in the doing of it. 
Give then grace to remain worthy of the best. May they 
not soil their minds with envy nor redden their eyes with 
regret. In the anguish of loneliness, gracious Father, be 
Thou near to them like the moonlight flooding the woods 
at midnight. May they find their reward in the con- 
sciousness of Thy blessing. Let them lean upon Thy 
promise, for in the quiet of eventide, as they sit in their 
door, the angel of Thy Presence will visit them, bringing 
the blessed fruits of their toil. Amen. 


xxx 
THE JOY OF JESUS 
The joy of thy salvation—Psaum 51: 12. 


OY is the coefficient of faith. Sin is separation. 
Faith is reconciliation. God and man are joined in 
love, and love is joy. 

Joy is not merely interest, nor is it pleasure which may 
mean the satisfaction of one particular desire. It is not 
happiness which suggests something that happens to us 
and coming from without. Joy is purely spiritual in its 
origin and development, and is found in the New Testa- 
ment word, ‘‘ Blessed,”’ which was very common on the 
lips of Jesus. Consider His example. Painters show our 
Lord nearly always sad. Philosophers have described 
Christianity as a religion of sorrow. Goethe said so and 
Carlyle agreed with him. So we picture Him as a Man 
of Sorrows. The halo round His head does not make 
amends. Nobody ever saw it there on the roads of Gali- 
lee. Jesus did not need it. He was happier than some 
imagine Him to have been. Take His own words. He 
compared Himself to a bridegroom,—surely the personi- 
fication of happiness. ‘‘ Except ye become as little chil- 
dren,” He said, and pointed to the sunny smile chasing 
away so quickly the sighs and tears. “ Rejoice and be 
exceeding glad.” Such words refer to the outward ex- 
pression of joy as if He said, “ dance for joy.” 

Why, then, are there so many Christians perpetually 
whining and whimpering, discontented and despondent? 
It may be that, like Peter, they are following Christ afar 
off. To walk with Jesus is to walk in the light. Without 
Him it is night. The joyless Christian may be immature 
and undeveloped. By entering into new spiritual con- 
quests the heart is gladdened and encouraged. 


74 


THE JOY OF JESUS 75 


THE WINE OF LIFE 


A sparkling crystal glass 
That once I gave to you, 
A secret kiss to pass 
As loyal lovers do. 


A pearly snow white bowl 
Full of the wine of life, 

For love would make him whole 
That fell amid the strife. 


A maimed and well worn cup 
Of tears that fell like hail, 

And we two kneeled to sup. 
It was the Holy Grail. 


PRAYER 


LMIGHTY God, our mortal days are few and in 
our blindness we miss their meaning. Teach us 
that this is not all. Here we have no continuing city. 
Beyond the shadows there is a better country where faith 
becomes sight, and where love’s blossoms know no decay. 
We would seek this rest, oh God, by living and dying 
with Christ. He is the way which, if we follow it, will 
guide us at last to the home eternal. Let not the hours 
be wasted in idle speculation. In the glorious certainty 
of the heavenly vision, let us be pure in heart, looking 
unto Jesus. Amen. 


XXXT 
THE REASONABLENESS OF JESUS 
They marvelled at hs reasoning —MAtTTHEW 7: 28. 


GREAT many today speak of Christianity as if it 
were unreasonable. It is supposed to be essentially 
opposed to reason. Was Jesus like that? We are told 
that they marveled at His reasoning. He made men 
think for themselves. ‘ Which is the greatest command- 
ment?” He asked,—‘‘ How readest thou? ”’, ““ Whom do 
ye say that I am? ”’, “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God 
with all... thy mind.” “ This is life eternal that they 
might know thee.” Jesus emphasized the facts of faith, 
but it takes more than unaided intellect to apprehend 
them. All the forces at man’s command must be em- 
ployed if Christ is to be known. There is nothing un- 
reasonable in this. 

Christianity, it is said, is being lost amid sensuous sym- 
bolism. Did Jesus intend that? Think how He spoke of 
prayer. They stood in the markets and in the synagogues 
to display their superior spirituality. The Lord bade His 
followers pray in secret. Honesty is the best policy in 
religion as everywhere else. Jesus is not to blame for the 
ornate funeral that men call ritual. His interest is in 
men and women. 

Is not Christianity a mere sentiment? Well, Jesus did 
not coddle men. He spoke of casting pearls before swine 
and giving holy things to dogs. Our Lord made enemies 
by His firmness. There is nothing effeminate in Chris- 
tianity. Without its virility it is decadent. 

Is its doctrinal basis not unreasonable? Ask Jesus. 
He will say only two words to you, “ Follow Me.” Be 
slow to form opinions. Remember there are non-essen- 
tials. No man has the monopoly of truth. Cultivate the 
higher qualities of the soul, and you will learn sympathy 
with others. Even the Christian life is not unreasonable, — 
though it be a living sacrifice. Jesus lived it and that is 
enough. 


76 


THE REASONABLENESS OF JESUS (ii 


DESTINY 


If God, the Father, gave me mind 
Above the drowsy cattle, 

For truth that mortal ne’er designed 
He meant me to do battle. 


If God Almighty gave me strength 
Of body robed in beauty, 

He girded me to scale at length 
The highest heights of duty. 


If God the Spirit gave to me 

A soul to clothe my passion, 

He made me blind that I might see 
The new earth’s fairer fashion. 


Then let thy faith its virtue show. 
The years will tell the story. 

Thy life and not thy creed will grow 
To be thy crown in glory. 


PRAYER 


RACIOUS Father, forgive our narrowness. Enable 
us to comprehend the measure of Thy love, that we 
may share its fulness. May there be no sneer upon our 
lips, and let the bitter spirit within us vanish before Thy 
love like the shadows at morn. Set us free from the 
shackles of prejudice and bigotry, that our faith may be 
quick to see the good in others. Deliver us from intoler- 
ance, from useless argument, and from shameful strife. 
Let us be ever willing to join in the service of the good 
cause with all who love Thee in sincerity and in truth. 
Give us a great patience with all who stumble and fall, 
and may we ever be found on the side of those who strive 
to know and to do the right. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. 


XXXIT 
THE BODY OF CHRIST 
Now ye are the body of Christ—I CorinTHIANS 12: 27. 


HE place which the Church occupies in the hearts of 
the people is beyond human calculation. The rea- 
son is simple,—it does not represent loyalty to an idea or 
to stone and lime but to a person, even Jesus, and to an 
experience of saving grace through fellowship with Him. 
The Church is spoken of as the “body of Christ.” 
This illustrates very clearly the close relationship be- 
tween our Lord and His followers. The phrase is not used 
in any physical sense but with a mystical and spiritual 
significance. Behind the material form there is life. The 
real presence is hid from us,—the heart that beats for us, 
the voice that speaks, and the mind that plans. Christ is 
actually living in His Church, and if this Christ-life be 
not ours, then are we not part of the Church. The 
Church is a body whose soul is Jesus. 

It is difficult to reconcile this sacred conception with 
the scenes of division and corruption around us. Do not 
be too impressed with these things. God is willing to use 
imperfect instruments; moreover, there can be an infinite 
number of circles around one center, and Jesus is the 
center reconciling all our differences——unity amid vari- 
ety, and harmony amid discord. He is the Head of the 
body (Colossians 1: 18), supplying thought, energy, and 
expression, the never-failing source of life and light. 

Consider the bearing of this on the unity of the Church. 
‘We being many are one body and every one members 
of one another.” Every part of the human body has its 
own duty to perform and there cannot be exchange of 
function. Only when they work together is there health 
and happiness. Even an obscure nerve cell that fails to 
codperate can work havoc, for this is how disease begins. 
Therefore, since we are members of Christ’s body, it is 
our first duty to codperate with Him in bringing the 
world to God. 


78 


THE BODY OF CHRIST 79 


CHURCH OF CHRIST 


Oh Church of Christ! On thy fair brow 
The symbol of the higher Mind 
That gave thee birth, is written. Thou 

For sacred ends designed! 


Oh guard thy strength from folly’s thrall! 
Ne’er be thy throbbing heart deceived 
Till Christ in thee, whate’er befall, 
His purpose hath achieved. 


Let all thy virgin strength be given, 
Till mind and will respond with joy, 
In man to mould the soul of heaven, 
The hosts of hell destroy. 


PRAYER 


LMIGHTY God, may we be ever conscious that to 
worship is to be with Thee. In Thy love is life, O 
Lord, and we beseech Thee to speak tenderly to every 
waiting heart. Let no sorrow be unrelieved and no holy 
aspiration unfulfilled. We cry to Thee for blessing upon 
the Church of Jesus everywhere. Let her not be put to 
shame at all, but conscious of her divine mission may she 
triumph most gloriously in the salvation of the world. In 
this day of special need, give her leaders wisdom and to 
all the people a willingness to serve. Let Thy Spirit pre- 
pare each for his task and may we fear not, but trust in 
Him whose kingdom ruleth over all. Let Thy Church 
be a praise upon the earth, and to this end we dedicate 
our all. Amen. 





HOLY SPIRIT 


XXXITTI 
THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT 


He breathed on them and saith unto them, “ Receive 
ye the Holy Spirit.”—JoHN 20: 21-23. 


IKE the soft zephyrs of the dawn whispering in the 
pine trees or like the storm at sea sweeping the 
terrified vessels hither and yon, so is the breath of God. 
Under its influence have passed the men who have been 
blessed to the world in the uplift of their fellows. Their 
task has been definite, their call imperative, and their 
answer decisive. 

This verse says that Christ will be in His disciples and 
in His Church in as real a way and with as much power 
as God was in Christ Himself. Here is the foundation 
truth of the Gospel. Here is love incredible. Into our 
darkness, confusion, and defeat comes the eternal Lord 
of light bringing assurance, peace, and victory. Was it 
not so in the early Church? With the Spirit came the 
power to heal the sick, boldness to meet the accusers of 
Jesus, and love to overcome their own personal grievances 
and differences. Their enemies took knowledge of them 
that they had been with Jesus. 

Here is the covenant between God and man sealed 
anew. Back in the uncertain dawn of time God breathed 
into man the breath of life. In this symbolic action of 
Jesus, God breathed into man a still higher life. First 
there was the mineral, then the vegetable, then the an- 
imal, then the human, then the spiritual and then the 
Christian, which is the highest endowment of all. The 
saint is the only true superman,—not in intellect nor in 
body first, but in soul, for in Him Christ lives again 
before the eyes of men. 

We are too easily satisfied with ourselves. Our stand- 
ards are borrowed from the world; not from Christ. We 
measure ourselves by what others say and not by what 
Christ says. We test our responsibilities in the law courts 
and not at the cross of Calvary. 


82 


THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT 83 


MY FRIEND 


When the toil of the day is over 
And I sit alone at e’en, 

While the mists above me hover, 
That float from the strange unseen, 


I can talk with a friend beside me, 
Who knows what my life has been, 

And gather the wisdom to guide me 
In the whisper that passes between. 


As I walk in the valley of flowers, 
When the shadows are kissing my feet, 
And the dew with rts gauzy showers 
Is coming the glade to greet, 


I can hear a voice from the midnight, 
That answers the call of desire, 

And I find in the glow of the twilight, 
Love’s gentle yet chastening fire. 


It is God Who is near me walking, 
The Friend that 1s aye by my side, 

And the even hath found us talking 
Of things that forever abide. 


Oh I pray that He ever may find me 
As I wat for the silent tume 

When I leave the world behind me 
And walk through the city sublime. 


PRAYER 


ATHER, I thank Thee for life’s pleasant associ- 

ations, for the companionship of those who love me 

and for the silent ministrations of beauty and harmony in 
nature. How wonderful are Thy works! Amen. 


XXXIV 
THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT 
Ye shall receive power.—Acts 1: 8. 


WO words are used in the Greek for power, one sig- 
nifying rule or authority and the other, ability, 
strength or force. In the latter sense it is used here. 
This is not political power. That came later into the life 
of the Church and led to degeneracy. It is not intel- 
lectual power only. The Church’s business is not to 
create intellectual geniuses, but to make men humble and 
more Godlike. Nor is this miraculous power. The great- 
est. of all miracles is a transformed life under.the influence 
of Christ. This power is spiritual. It is from God; it is 
personal in its attachments and it is moral in its results, 
for it leads to a certain kind of life after the image of 
Jesus. 

Think of the secret of this power. The apostles were 
well equipped, for they had seen and heard the risen Lord, 
but they lacked something until that eventful day when 
the Holy Spirit came upon them. What if we be rich, 
learned and powerful in the eyes of the world! Without 
the aid of the Holy Spirit we may yet be of little value 
to the Kingdom. 

Why should we believe in the Holy Spirit? Because 
Christ promised the Spirit, because Jesus Himself re- 
ceived the Spirit, and because the experience of the apos- 
tles reveals the results of His presence. The Christian 
life is incomplete that has no room for the Holy Spirit. 
This does not mean madness, or ecstasy, or emotional dis- 
turbance. It is love, joy, and peace. The disciples re- 
ceived Him because they tarried at Jerusalem. Today 
we are too sudden. We must learn to wait upon God. 
They prayed also,—intense, concentrated appeal in their 
hour of need. Impatience in God’s company is a sign of 
spiritual default. Think of the service this Spirit ren- 
dered. The apostles became missionaries, martyrs, wit- 
nesses for Him and gave the Gospel to the world. 


84 


THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT 85 


DAWN 


The twilight lingers like a blessing said 

By hoary age upon a raven head, 

But soon, too soon, the last faint gleam ts fled, 
And I must go my way. 


If there be nothing for my soul to find 
But stray leaves herded by a witless wind, 
No better am I than a beggar blind 

That knoweth not his way. 


Only if love speak tenderly to me 

Will hope sing softly till the shadows flee, 

And I shall walk where faith alone may see 
The winding upward way. 


Again the dawn will greet me with delight, 
And when the purple radiance thrills my sight, 
I shall forget the labors of the night 

Upon love’s sunnier way. 


PRAYER 


LMIGHTY God, we thank Thee for Thy wonders in 
nature, for Thy coming into the world in the per- 
son of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for Thy secret presence 
in the hearts of all who truly trust in Thee. Thy voice is 
not silent nor is Thy hand idle. Deep in the silent places 
of our life Thy Spirit labors continually to fashion us 
after the image of Jesus. Give us faith to honor Thy 
Spirit that we may yield our lives to His desire and learn 
to do the works of our Lord and Savior. Subdue our wills 
that in the quietness of meditation we may see the prog- 
ress of Thy Kingdom. Show us our place in Thy mighty 
plan. Let us not be afraid, but opening our hearts to Thy 
Spirit, let us take our place with the multitudes whe 
through the ages have laid down their lives for Jesus’ 
sake. Amen. 


XXXV 
THE COMMUNION OF THE SPIRIT 


The communion of the Holy Spirit. 
—II Cortintuians 13: 14. 


OMMUNION is a religious term, and it is to be dis- 
tinguished from words like union, unity, and com- 
munity. These are claimed by business, science, and 
politics. Communion expresses the ultimate in human 
experience. Certain things we must have in common with 
God if we are to have communion with Him. 

A. There must be a spiritual life within us. Jesus 
taught that the common origin of our race is found in 
God. His life isin us. While we speak of the eternity of 
God, we also speak of the immortality of man. Com- 
munion is impossible on a purely naturalistic basis. We 
do not commune with nature, but with the beautiful God 
of whom it is the expressive symbol. Materialistic habits 
may put us out of sympathy with such a view of life. 
Then is the Spirit dead within us. Only the religious 
attitude practised by Jesus can lead to its recovery. 

B. This communion is possible only on a basis of holi- 
ness. The life of the Spirit is not something aloof from 
the events of every day. Through the never-ending 
struggle the Spirit within us gains the ascendancy, until 
the will of God reigns supreme. Not any kind of man 
may find fellowship with God,—only the righteous, who 
has found his strength in Jesus. Oh, how unworthy are 
we of this holy communion, but we remember our Lord. 
He is our righteousness, and through Him we are able to 
look with perfect trust into the face of our heavenly 
Father. 

C. The New Testament words suggest mutual ex- 
change. Our closest friendships are cemented by delicate 
thoughtfulness and sympathy. Love asks love in return. 
Now, God has given us life in Christ, life like Christ, and 
life for Christ. What shall we give to Him? All that we 
have and are! It is fair exchange. 


86 


THE COMMUNION OF THE SPIRIT 87 


COMFORT 


Oh Son of Man Who walked the weary way 
Into the wilderness, 

Where burning sands lie low in wait to slay, 
And mock the soul’s distress! 


Oh Thou Who companied with friendless sorrow, 
And went forth doing good— 

Only to feel the sting upon the morrow 
Of coarse ingratitude! 


Oh Cross of pain! Oh darkness bleak and lone! 
Oh sullen death’s despair! 

Oh Thou Who saw the heavenly harvests grown, 
When mortal fields were bare! © 


Ah, Thou didst know the secret of the calm 
That soothes the troubled soul. 

Thy wounded Spirit breathes the fragrant balm, 
That makes the sad heart whole. 


PRAYER 


ITH humble hearts we seek Thee, oh Spirit 
Eternal. Thou art the fountain of living water. 
From Thee cometh the light to illumine the darkness of 
our ignorance and folly, and in Thee there is power to 
inspire the fainting soul. Alas that we have tried to live 
without Thee. Spirit of Love and Peace, take possession 
of our minds and control our wills that the years may be 
ennobled by obedience and service. It is enough if Thou 
art with us. Gracious Spirit, may the eyes of all nations 
be opened to see Thy glory, and in this day of human 
strength and weakness reveal Thy heart of love that 
burdened souls may find a refuge there. Through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 


XXXVI 
THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT 
Your life is hid with Christ in God.—CotossiAns 3: 1-4. 


UR most precious possession is life. God has im- 
proved it many times since it came from His hands 
through mineral, vegetable, and animal, and the spiritu- 
ality of the Christian life is the highest form known to 
history. This is the abundant life. Earlier forms were 
the children of their environment, and history has been 
writing the story of man’s deliverance. 

Sometimes the word used here is misrepresented. Hid- 
den should not mean concealed or stored away with de- 
liberate intent to deprive others of certain advantages. 
Was Christ’s life hidden? He Himself said that he spoke 
and labored openly. Yet some have treated the Christian 
life after the fashion of the miser, the coward, the ar- 
cheologist or the mollycoddle. It is not enough that we 
should analyze our Christian experience, but that we 
should declare it. The Church has suffered from such 
obscurantism. Many of her children have been in dis- 
guise, hiding the garments of their faith for one reason or 
another in the closets of discreet respectability. The re- 
sult is that superstition, bigotry, and hypocrisy have 
taken hold of the deceivers. 

But there is a sense in which this text is true. The Old 
Testament speaks of the secret place of the Most High. 
The spring is secreted among the rocks from which the 
pure waters bubble forth. The roots are secret that the 
tree may climb into the sky. Life is hidden in the blood 
that the eye may flash and the lips move. Such is the 
life of the Spirit. He is Teacher, Comforter and Bene- 
factor according to Jesus, and our ability to meditate and 
contemplate is sufficient justification for the exercise of 
our spiritual faculties. The roots of our spiritual life go 
far down into the unseen. The source of our strength is 
in God. 


88 


THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT 89 


A SECRET 


Infe dare not tell it all. 
Her secret deep 
Is as the dreams that call 
When pinewoods sleep,— 
A mystery that waves us on 
From twilight through the sylvan dawn. 


Time cannot tell rt all. 
Upon the wind 
The seeds of promise fall, 
And I am blind, 
For what the harvest that will grow 
Eternity alone will show. 


I may not tell it all, 
For love enjoys 
The heart’s enchanted hall 
Beyond life’s nose. 
Oh, Love hath nothing more to say 
If roses be not fair today. 


PRAYER 


H, God unseen, from whom all goodness flows, make 
us very sure of Thy presence. Forbid that we 
should forget Thee in the throng and press, and gra- 
ciously direct our eyes to Thy wonderful works in the 
heavens above and the earth beneath. Strengthen, oh 
Lord, the roots of our life. May we be more eager to 
draw our nourishment from Thy secret springs than that 
we should display our vanity among the stars. Teach us 
the wisdom of Thy secret place and let us count it all joy 
when we leave the confusion of earth’s voices to seek 
communion with Thee. Like the blossoms of the spring 
so may our faith reveal Thy tender care unseen yet ever 
real. Amen. 


XXXVII 
THE DAY OF THE SPIRIT 
I was in the Sprit on the Lord’s day.—REVELATION 1: 10. 


HE Sabbath brings to our remembrance the finished 
work of Jesus and His resurrection. It speaks of 
triumph over sin and death and of promise of that eternal 
Sabbath beyond the shores of time. It is the day of wor- 
ship when our thoughts are lifted above ourselves. 

The spirit-filled life is essential to true worship. 
“Flesh ” in the New Testament describes man’s relation 
to the visible world. “Spirit” defines the range of the 
activities of the Spirit of God in man’s life. God does 
not take our life by instalments. The Spirit of God must 
be an abiding presence leading us into all the truth. 

It is possible to be in the Church and in the fashion 
without being “in the Spirit.” The spirit of indifference 
will make worship a meaningless cipher in your experi- 
ence. Criticism is directed against God. Sloth will open 
the way for the armed man of spiritual poverty. But 
what of him who says “I am not in the mood today.” 
He ought to say “ I am not in the Spirit.” What a, criti- 
cism upon ourselves! Moods are but the fleeting foibles 
of vagrant minds; the Spirit is the abiding presence of 
God, lending stability, strength and purpose to life. 

In the Spirit we are united. It is all very well to say 
that we can worship God in the fields or in the secret 
place. That is in the highest degree possible, but the 
Spirit of God within us will compel us to seek the fellow- 
ship of Christian believers. He is a Spirit of love and 
love cannot live in isolation. Cathedrals in days of old 
were built near the market-places. So is God near at all 
times. Serve Him every other. day and you will be in the 
Spirit on the Lord’s day. 

90 


THE DAY OF THE SPIRIT 91 


THE HIGHER WILL 


A little company beside the sea, 
Where sunny ripples on the pebbles played 
With little folk, my straying footstep stayed, 

For straining eyes were gazing eagerly 

On Him who blessed the children at His knee, 
And wondering His words of wisdom weighed. 
Then as my hesitating heart obeyed, 

He lifted up His eyes and spake to me. 


As in the solemn eve, when all is still, 
Diviner voices chasten mortal doubt, 
So in the hush that folded me about 

I heard the summons of the Higher Will. 


He gave the winds His voice, “ Come, learn of me.” 
’T was echoed softly by the whispering sea. 


PRAYER 


H, Thou who hast called us into service, we thank 
Thee for the quiet hours of the sacred day when 
we can lay aside our toil and be at rest. Grant that we 
may give those hallowed hours not to sloth and debauch 
but to the refreshment of our souls and to Thy ministry 
of love. Purify our worship that with clean hands and 
pure heart we may ascend unto the hill of the Lord. 
May we feel our fellowship with the saints of God in all 
generations within Thy house and go back to our service 
- again inspired by their sacrifices. Let Thy Spirit take 
possession of our hearts that we may be strengthened and 
taught to do Thy will and extend Thy Kingdom. Let 
us not fail Thee, Father, but find our hearts’ desire in 
following Him who died that we might live. Amen. 


XXXVIII 
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE 
The Spirit and the Bride say come.—REVELATION 22: 17. 


HIS is the keyword of the Bible,—a pleasant word, 
for it signifies the offer of friendship. 

A. The call to come. With threefold emphasis it 
sounds in our ears. The Spirit says “Come.” This is 
the Spirit of Christ,—His representative in the world. He 
is with us still and none other has such right to speak. 
The Spirit is ever urging us to think, live, and serve like 
Jesus. 

The Bride says “Come.” This is the symbol of the 
Church. Since the time of our Lord she has existed and 
she has served the Spirit only as she has remembered His 
message. Her error has been that too often she has sub- 
stituted creeds, kingdoms, and crusades for Christ. Her 
one appeal is,—the world for Jesus. She is not authorized 
to speak any other message or to seek any other mission. 
The Christian says ‘‘Come.” This is an appeal to in- 
dividual loyalty. The world says ‘‘ Come to this, that or 
the other thing.” The Christian says ‘‘ Come to Christ.” 
The next words explain the urgency. “ Let him that is 
athirst come.” Thirst is the most painful of starved 
appetites. The soul is athirst for God. He alone can 
meet the needs of the soul. 

B. What of the will to come? God treats us as free 
agents. Without our codperation He can do little. Some 
are willing but not thirsty. They have no sense of need. 
They have the mind but not the heart. It is the work of 
the Spirit to awaken the heart to its need of God. Some 
are thirsty but not willing. ‘‘ Whosoever” is a broad 
word, but ‘‘ whosoever will” is much narrower. Are you 
willing to be on Christ’s side and to be reckoned among 
His people? It is His Spirit that calls you. 


92 


THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE 93 


THE WOOING WORD 


Spirit of love, I would return 

From out the strife of time forlorn. 
Oh, speed me with Thy wooing word, 
And tell me of Thy welcome Lord. 


Oh stretch Thy wounded hands to me, 
That in Thy sorrow I may see 

The love that bears another’s pain, 
And teaches grief to hope again. 


What tf I stumble? Plead for me, 
Oh Savior, in my agony. 

With unseen arms around me thrown 
Tell me that I am not alone. 


And bring me to my end, dear Lord, 
By swollen stream or shining sword, 
That for the joy awaiting there 

I may the last dread Valley dare. 


PRAYER 


H, Thou who hast filled the world with sweetness, 

help us to hear Thy loving voice in every singing 
bird and lilting breeze. Far and wide Thou art calling 
us to Thy side and in the soft voice of Thy Spirit where 
the voices of the world are still. How often have we 
turned aside from Thy pleading, so unmindful of Thy 
mercy! Turn our steps to Thee, Oh Spirit unseen, and 
let us stay not, until we come to Thy secret places. Thou 
art the garden where the heavenly graces grow, and from 
Thy cooling fountains flow the springs of pure delight. 
We are not worthy to taste the precious fruits that Thou 
hast provided, but oh, Thou who knowest all hearts, sat- 
isfy us with Thy love and make us strong. Out of our 
poverty and hunger we come to Thee, for in Thee alone 
is peace. Amen. 


XXXIX 
THE EYES OF THE SPIRIT 


Whom having not seen ye love—I Prter 1: 8. 


We strikes one about this text is its boldness and 
exalted confidence. It betrays a weakness, how- 
ever. How can we love Him whom we have not seen? 
To all appearances Christianity becomes a chimera, a 
vain fancy, a rock in the air. The critic shakes his head 
and shuts the book. The difficulty is that we have not 
seen Him. An eternal manifestation in the flesh alone 
would satisfy. 

The question arises, however, supposing we did see 
Him, would we recognize Him? Remember the feeble- 
ness of human vision, its deceitfulness, and its fickleness. 
Again supposing we did recognize Him, would we believe 
in Him? The fact is that if Christ were to appear in our 
streets tomorrow, multitudes would jostle and push one 
another in order to confute the Son of God. Amid our 
craze for sightseeing His coming, if it were like the last, 
would be a nine days’ wonder, satisfying a passing whim 
and relieving the monotony of our existence only until we 
got rid of Him. 

The question arises, How can we know Him if we have 
not seen Him? How can we believe in Him if we do not 
know? And how can we love Him if we do not believe 
in Him? The Bible has given a name to the spiritual 
receptiveness by which we become conscious of Jesus. 
It is faith. By faith we see beyond the boundaries of 
sense and view the landscape of eternity. Only the Chris- 
tian can see in the real sense, for he sees with eyes that 
fail not, the things that fail not, and with a light that 
fails not. 

Faith is the atmosphere. Love is life. In Christian 
experience, not knowledge alone, but love, is power. 
That love will wait in expectation of seeing Him. Love 
is the center of gravity and will make captive every 
thought, impulse and desire. 


94 


THE EYES OF THE SPIRIT 95 


BLINDED WINDOWS 


Oh my sorrow, lonely is the way 
That I have walked with thee. How dark the room 
And cold, no echo through the sullen gloom 
Where I must dwell with thee! If I should pray 
My hoarse voice in the silence seems to stay 
Upon the haunted stairways. ’Tis a tomb 
That grief hath builded for love’s fragrant bloom, 
And life hath whispered that I must obey. 


Yet shall I longer wart to greet the day 
That soon must break where God alone may see, 
And through the blinded windows eagerly 

Hope shall look in on me with eyes of grey. 


I may not hasten by an hour the morn, 
And yet the light will find me here forlorn. 


PRAYER 


UT of the darkness of our doubt we seek Thee, oh 
Lord of earth and sky. How often we rest in the 
things 'that are temporal and perishing, forgetting that 
these are but the symbols of a love that never dies. May 
we never be satisfied with the things of earth and sense. 
In that purer world that borders time, help us to find the 
satisfaction of our deepest needs and the fulfilment of our 
purest dreams. Lift up before our minds the image of 
our loving Lord that we may daily strive to be like Him. 
May He be more real to us than the gains of earth and 
more compelling than the desires of sense. Let not the 
veil of time hide from us His eternal presence, but may 
we see Him still walking through the streets of sorrow 
and hear Him calling us into the service of love. Help 
us to see with the eyes of Jesus. Amen. 


XL 
SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT 
I have meat to eat that ye know not of —JoHN 4: 32. 


HAT meat was this? The body must be fed, but 
it will die, whatever we eat. The mind demands 
food and a society for the suppression of useless knowl- 
edge would not be altogether out of place. The spirit 
must be nourished. We mistake its needs. Theology is 
not religion. Communion with God is inward and spiri- 
tual. Books and worship will help, but only the Eternal 
Spirit can spread the table of the soul with rich bounties 
to make glad the heart. Our spiritual food is the Bread 
of Life,—the bread which does not contain within itself 
the elements of decay. We too have meat to eat “ that 
others know not of.” 

Think of the things which filled Christ’s heart then. 
In verse 34 He says,—‘‘ My meat is to do the will of him 
that sent me.” This is the supreme spiritual standard 
(Colossians 4:12). It is the supreme ethical standard 
(Mark 3: 35). It is the supreme divine standard, for it 
is the equivalent of the Kingdom of God on earth. And 
it is the supreme human standard (Luke 22: 42). How 
blessed, indeed, is that life in which every movement of 
mind and heart is subject to the will of the Heavenly 
Father. 

Again, success gave Jesus joy, for had He not come to 
finish the work of Him from Whom He came? Another 
soul had been led to the truth. Another life had been en- 
listed in the service of the Kingdom, and in the prospect 
of a redeemed world which this incident presented to Him, 
the mind of Jesus rejoiced. Oh, let Christ’s followers 
today forget their grievances in their zeal for the King- 
dom of God, and satisfy the heart’s deeper hunger with 
loving service. 

But the disciples knew not of what Jesus spake. 


96 


SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT 97 
SATISFIED 


No more of mystery to rob 
My aching heart of holy calm, 
For life hath answered with a sob, 
When I had looked for prayer and psalm! 


No more uncertainty to blind 
My prospects of the upward way! 
Oh, why should night my footsteps find, 
Where I am most inclined to stray! 


No more to weep upon the shore, 
While love sails silently away, 
For heaven will open wide the door 
Between the even and the day! 


Oh, let me sail the mystic sea 
That makes eternity of time, 

For there alone my soul 1s free 
To find a home in any clime. 


PRAYER 


UR Father, when we pray to Thee, such thoughts 

of beauty and goodness arise in our minds that we 

are ashamed and distressed. The vision of Jesus awakens 
us to a new sense of duty, and we feel unworthy to serve 
with Him. Gracious Lord, help us still to cherish the 
high ideals of the better life, that come like good angels 
from Thy presence into our souls, and give us hearts 
willing to be taught of Thee. Whatever it may cost us, 
we would strive more earnestly to attain, and we plead 
with Thee to be with us on the upward way. May no 
soul be disheartened unto death by the stumbling, but 
rather learn to lean on Thee yet again. Help us to keep 
our eyes forward, looking unto Jesus, our Friend and 
Savior. So shall we ever come nearer unto Thee. Amen. 


XLI 
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT 


The fruit of the Spirit ts love, joy, peace. 
—GALATIANS 5: 22-23. 


OD planted a garden, we are told, in the midst of 

His new world. It was a failure. A new garden 

He is building in the hearts of men, spiritual and eternal 
and beyond the reach of human failure. 

The gardener is the Holy Spirit. His work, unseen and 
unheard, is essential to the welfare of the race. Educa- 
tion, culture and reform are well in their place, but they 
do not go deep enough. They may prune the tree and 
improve the environment, but they cannot force it to grow 
and produce the good fruit. The spiritual must overcome 
the natural. These two are in conflict until we surrender 
thoughts, habits and desires to God. 

The purpose of the gardener is to produce such fruit as 
Paul describes. The word is singular. We cannot be 
better in one particular without feeling the benefit in 
every direction. To be more loving is to be more brave, 
more honest and more just. The list is not exhaustive 
because man’s spiritual attainments are capable of in- 
finite combinations. The first three describe the life of 
the tree itself. Love is the sap from root to twig. Joy 
is the appearance of the tree, for they clap their hands. 
Peace is the quiet harmony of every part. This is a 
picture of the steadfast untroubled soul. 

The second list describes our relations with others. 
Longsuffering, gentleness and goodness. God’s love 
should be matched by our goodness. ‘“ Be ye kind one to 
another.” The final list describes the fruits in our own 
hearts. Faithfulness, meekness, temperance. Every step 
in human progress has been a new control. Self-denial 
and self-control go hand in hand. 

Fruit is the end to be achieved. This is the climax 
of the Spirit’s labors. 


98 


THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT 99 


PROMISE 


There is no day that hath not its reminder 
Of love’s sweet presence by the busy way; 

There is no night that hath not for the finder 
A dream of hope to usher in the day. 


There is no journey that hath not an ending 
To charm the pilgrim always homeward led; 
There is no strife, where grief and joy are blending, 
That peace hath not her pinions overspread. 


There is no cloud that hath no sun to gild tt, 
No grief that hath not love to soothe its pain, 
No ruin dire that man may not rebuild it, 
No falling leaf that doth not live again. 


Tis but the earnest of a great endeavor, 
The soul’s diviner gift, the truest prayer, 

The intent of a faith that falters never, 
The promise of fulfilment unaware. 


PRAYER 


E thank Thee, oh God, for the abundance of the 

harvest. fields, for gardens that bloom to Thy 
praise, and for trees that sing their anthems to the skies. 
How beautiful is the world that Thou hast created! Alas 
for the heart of man that has scattered unlovely seeds of 
hate and bitterness over the earth. We beseech Thee that 
Thou wilt cause Thy loveliness to grow within us that 
from our hearts may bloom the rich graces of Jesus 
Christ our Lord. We praise Thee for all good causes that 
have strengthened within the human heart whatever is 
right and worthy, but oh, help us to know that Thou 
alone by Thy Spirit canst make the vines of virtue to 
ripen and the lilies of truth to blossom. Come Thou, 
oh God, and build within each heart a garden that will 
bloom with Thy praise. Amen. 


| XLII 
THE BOND OF THE SPIRIT 
He loved them unto the end.—JoHN 13: 1. 


HE closing chapters of this Gospel have been called 
the Holy of Holies of the New Testament. Their 
attraction is the love of Jesus. 

Here one finds the explanation of His love. We nat- 
urally associate this word with our Lord. It is to Jesus 
what beauty is to a lily or perfume to a rose. He repre- 
sented love as against every other force that sought to 
sway mankind. The world had never tried it before. It 
has been slow to try it since His day. The religion of 
Jesus is love—a loving heart and a loving life. Was He 
not the Son of God? God is love, and Jesus is love eternal. 

We find here the manifestation of this love. He loved 
“His own,” and not for any arbitrary reason. They were 
covenanted with Him in service, and dependent upon 
Him like children. He loved the world, for He would 
have won all mankind to His side, but ‘“‘ His own ”. were 
the product of His heart and brain. They were carrying 
out. His commission, however imperfectly, and on that 
eventful night He singled them out for special distinction. 
Not angels were they, nor sages from pagan groves, nor 
princes from the East, but plain men, humble, weak and 
erring. They were “in the world,’ a phrase which de- 
scribes their inheritance and environment. Inside the 
upper room a few men pledged loyalty to their Lord. 
Outside, the multitude plotted His death. Are we “ His 
own?” 

Think of the measure of this love. They betrayed 
Him, forsook Him, denied Him, but He loved them 
“unto the end.” This is divine love, and something of 
the love of Jesus must be in our hearts if we are to do 
His works. Love is reciprocal and we must love Him, too. 


100 





THE BOND OF THE SPIRIT 101 


UNTO THE END 


Not angels were they from the land of dream, 
Where in the cloudless day twmmortals walk 
Of stainless robe, and in the stillness talk 
With Him who weaves the slow evolving theme 
Of Time: nor sages nourished at the stream 
From ancient grottoes long forgotten sprung, 
Where wisdom brooded when the world was young, 
And taught her sons to find the fadeless gleam. 


Plain men were they who stumbled in the light 
For trusting not that love alone must lead, 
Lusted for thrones when thorns encircled night, 
And sorrowed not for Him whose heart should bleed. 


Yet He, who found in such disguse a friend, 
Loved them the while and loved them to the end. 


PRAYER 


ELP us, our Father, to be constant in our friend- 
ship. Deliver us from deceit and low cunning, lest 
we betray those who have enriched our lives with love 
and liberality. May we find in Jesus the ideal friend, 
that serving Him all our days we may be like Him in the 
enduring ties which bound Him to His own. May we be 
worthy of the trust of our fellowmen, putting away from 
our hearts all jealousy and enmity, and by our Christ- 
like spirit let our lives become springs from which Thy 
love may flow. So do we pray for that wider friendship 
when all mankind will be one in Thee. Amen. 


XLII 
SPIRITUAL HEALTH 
I am come that they might have lfe—Joun 10: 10. 


HE life of which Jesus speaks is the outstanding 
characteristic of His followers. What is that? It 
is not necessarily a giant intellect, for the simplest mind 
may know the Lord. Again, a Christian is not the prod- 
uct of a certain religious environment. To be trained in 
the lap of orthodoxy does not necessarily make anyone a 
Christian. Even Church membership is not always a 
badge of Christian experience. The Christian, also, is 
not simply a person of benevolent sympathies. There are 
charitable Mohammedans. Moreover, the Christian is 
not the absurdly emotional person who lays such em- 
phasis upon the appendages of his religion. The ascetic 
is not the highest representative of Christ, and it is not 
essential to fill the earth with lamentations and forebod- 
ings of ill in order to lead the world to God. A man may 
be all of these things, and not be a Christian; he may be 
none of them and yet be a Christian; and he may be a 
Christian and yet be all of them. 
Remember, science has never been able to define life in 
any sphere. Its origin is wrapped in mystery. 
Professor Henry Drummond defines this Christian 
characteristic by saying that “ Jesus is the Life.” This 
is scriptural. (John 3: 16; 6: 4-5; 11:25; 14:6.) The 
same thought is found in the Epistles. (Galatians 2: 21, 
and Colossians 3:4.) “ Christ liveth in me,” said Paul. 
Jesus can be in us and we in Him, as joy is in a smile, as 
beauty is in a face, as warmth is in the sunshine, as one 
circle may be within another. And this spirit of Jesus 
can change our thoughts and desires and lead us into 
higher fields of service, for He brings a right conception 
of God, a right relationship to Himself, and a right con- 
ception of His service. If this life is to prosper, it must 
have atmosphere, nourishment and exercise. These are 
the conditions of “‘ abundant life.” 


102 


SPIRITUAL HEALTH 103 


IF 


If Thou, my Savior, watch over me, — 
I shall be happy to suffer with Thee. 
Faith will be clearer, heaven be nearer 
If Thou, my Savior, watch over me. 


If Thou, my Savior, watch over me, 

I shall walk safe through the shadows with Thee. 
If death enfold me, Love will uphold me 

If Thou, my Savior, watch over me. 


If Thou, my Savior, watch over me, 

Still shall I trust Thee, though eye cannot see. 
Night will be brighter, burdens be lighter 

If Thou, my Savior, watch over me. 


PRAYER 


H God, how beautiful is the world, and how pleas- 
ant to taste its abundance! The merry sun calls 
us to rejoice whether we work or play, and the soft rain 
falls like a benediction when we have borne the heat of 
the day. Darkness and light are both alike to Thee, oh 
Lord, and in the solemn calm of even as in the russet 
dawn we are with Thee. How gentle is the aroma of 
gardens where we walk with Thee, and in the luscious re- 
freshment of the vines our hearts are mindful of the 
strengthening wine of Thy Spirit, that knows no season. 
The harvest fields are heavy with goodness, and Thy love 
adorns the green valleys. Open our eyes that we may see 
Thy footsteps upon the mountains and Thy marvelous 
handiwork in every leafy tree. So shall the fairer flowers 
of Thy Spirit bloom within our souls even like Jesus, full 
of grace and truth. Amen. 


XLIV 
THE SPIRITUAL RACE 


Let us run with patience . . . looking unto Jesus. 
—Hersrews 12: 1, 2. 


O win at the Olympic games, held every four years in 

ancient Greece, was to win the admiration of the 
world. Paul writes of a race of infinitely more impor- 
tance and of laurels more abiding. 

Life is a spiritual race. It is not a matter of chance, 
but a destiny. Every one of us has responsibilities and 
opportunities which we avoid at our peril, and God has 
given us gifts to aid us in our task. In a race one sees 
muscles strained, veins standing out, and limbs extended. 
Runners do not go to sleep on the track. So is life 
serious. It demands enthusiasm. To idle along is to lose 
the prize. Success is difficult in any realm. It is not 
otherwise with the Christian life. Jesus endured the 
Cross. 

Think of the runners. Paul mentions the mighty names 
of old. Are we like them? Yes! The apostle was writ- 
ing to a humble people whose very names are forgotten. 
We may all be runners, if we will. The race is but a pic- 
ture of the eternal struggle after the higher life. It 1s 
found in the humblest, and what sacrifices are made to 
attain it! Is not our race also dignified by the fact that 
Jesus went that way? 

Who are the prize winners? They lay aside “ every 
weight.” Races are not run in fur coats. If the Chris- 
tian life is unsuccessful for us, what hinders us? “ The 
sin that besets,’—that clings so closely to us. Whatever 
keeps us from our goal as Christians is our sin. They 
run with patience, looking unto Jesus. Impetuosity ex- 
hausts the athlete. He must conserve his strength, and 
shut his ears to the crowd. To look back is fatal. For- 
ward is the goal. So must we look unto Jesus. 


104 


‘ 


THE SPIRITUAL RACE 105 


YOUTH AND AGE 


Up with the dawn 

And with the birds awake, 
The shadows gone, 

A bath of dew to take, 
And greet the azure sky 
With dance and merry cry. 


Ah, youth is morn 

With pulses beating high, 
The night to scorn 

And time and tide defy, 
For laughter shakes the trees 
And love sings in the breeze. 
% * % & % 
Ah well, the night 

Hath come too soon, and yet 
When fades the light 

’T1s blessed to forget. 
The shadows pale and slender 
Enfold me soft and tender. 


PRAYER 


E praise Thee, oh God, for the life that flows 
through our veins, for the joy of existence and the 
hope that brightens our days. ‘Teach us the privilege of 
looking upon the sun and of wearing its bloom upon our 
cheeks. How wide is the field upon which we may sport 
our strength and how sweet the springs of joy that glad- 
den our senses. Forgive, oh Lord, that we should ever 
abuse the gifts of Thy love. Grant us Thy Spirit that 
under His control we may accomplish the purpose of Thy 
love. Let us not be content to stay in the waste places 
of corruption, but let us hasten to the purer heights where 
the sunlight of Thy presence shines for ever more. Let 
us not weary until we win the eternal crown. Amen. 


XLV 
THE SPIRIT OF CONQUEST 


I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God 
in mine hand.—Exovvs 17: 9. 


HE shriek and wail of battle mingled with the plead- 
ings of prayer. Israel was going “ over the top” to 
a final decision with Amalek. 

Think of the faithfulness of Moses. True, he left the 
ranks of the fighters, when strong arms and clear brains 
were needed. But he had promised Joshua that he would 
thus pray, and Israel had proved the power of prayer. 
So should the place of prayer be sought by all who need 
God. No mention is made of the breaking of bread or the 
quenching of thirst. He bore the sufferings with the war- 
riors below, until his hands were silhouetted against the 
pale evening sky. He was in earnest. Praying was as 
essential to victory as fighting. 

What did it mean to the army? Well, the odds were 
against them. Amalek was their most insistent enemy. 
They were fighting on their own ground, too, whereas 
Israel was weary with the travel and the lack of proper 
nourishment. It was a critical hour. Today we have 
learned how much depends on morale at such a time. 
When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed and when 
he let them down Amalek prevailed. Why? Not because 
of Moses, but because of the uplifted hands. Prayer was 
their stimulant for the battle, and the morale of the world 
today depends upon prayer. Spirituality alone is to save 
the world from insane anarchy. God alone can guide the 
world aright through the changes that are impending. 
We need men of prayer. 

To the enemy, Moses, with a rod instead of a sword, 
on the mountain instead of in the valley, was a joke. 
They did not disturb that harmless old man. He was out 
of the fight. Thus do men argue still. But Moses was 
God’s man,—representative of an invisible army, stronger 
than all the hosts of earth. 


106 


THE SPIRIT OF CONQUEST 107 


THE WILL TO PRAY 


Though I lisp like a child for his mother, 
And falter as weak on the way, 

I shall plead the unknown with a will of my own, 
Till the break of Eternal day. 


I shall pray till the trvumph of reason 
The reign of the right will proclaim; 

Till the secrets of God shall be scattered abroad, 
And the earth will delight in His name. 


I shall pray till the unchanging season, 
When the reapers of love will have done; 

Till the Lord of the earth to my vision give birth, 
And the goal of my seeking is won. 


PRAYER 


ORBID, Lord, that we should ever desert the cause 
of truth. Let us be slow to doubt the sincerity of 
our fellows, and may we never question Thy goodness. 
If faith be difficult, grant us patience to wait for the rev- 
elation of Thy spirit, who will lead us into all the truth. 
Help us to live our faith that experience may confirm 
Thy witness in our souls. Give us courage to declare and 
defend what we have known of Thee, and with the years 
let our knowledge expand and our love ripen. Oh, may 
we never conceal our testimony, but let our lives be as 
lights that cannot be quenched! Forgive our faintheart- 
edness, our inconsistency, and our bigotry. Grant us 
more of the Spirit of our Lord whose love is joy and 
whose service is freedom. Amen. 


XLVI 
THE SPIRITUAL HOPE 


After my skin, even this body, 1s destroyed, then with- 
out my flesh shall I see God.—Jos 19: 26. 


HAT does religion say to metaphysical arguments 
with regard to immortality? Primarily, it is not 
concerned with them and finds very little to enthuse over. 
Let any Christian man ask himself, Do I base my belief 
in immortality upon a philosophy of the universe or upon 
a scientific formula? Not one in a thousand will answer 
in the affirmative. Immortality is not so much a matter 
of origins as a matter of motives. The religious thinker 
argues in this way, ‘‘I have an experience of God, con- 
firmed in my everyday life, which rises far above any 
intellectual propositions which you may offer.” And this 
is the simple, naked truth. Religious experience leaves 
biology far behind. It is entirely wrong to argue, for 
example, that there are faculties in human nature, useless 
in this life from a biological point of view, which await 
their sphere ,of usefulness in another life. The argument 
is well-meaning, but it leaves religion out of account. In 
the realm of religion all these finer faculties of a man’s 
nature are exercised and through their witness immor- 
tality becomes a clear certainty. Religion says, “ I know 
whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able 
to keep that which I have committed unto him against 
that day.” : 

Belief in life after death supplies a much felt need. 
The hope which Christ offers relieves the darkness. The 
burden of life is borne more bravely and death assumes a 
new form. Its separation loses its sting, for a place of 
reunion is promised, where love’s lips will be unsealed. 
This hag been the comfort of sorrowing souls throughout 
history. Somewhere there is an existence that answers 
the desire of the soul. 


108 


SPIRITUAL HOPE 109 


THE WELCOME 


When the tasks of life are ended 
And the shadows gather o’er, 

Father, keep me in Thy mercy, 
Till I reach the silver shore. 


May no fear destroy my vision 
And no fretting wreck my peace, 
But in sweet contentment sleeping— 
Let me thank Thee for release. 


Open Thou the golden gateway 
Into yonder land of bliss. 

Welcome Thou this supplant pilgrim, 
Let me feel my Father’s kass. 


Oh to rest beside the river 
Of Thy love eternal there! 
Father, let this child that loves Thee 
_ Evermore Thy dwelling share. 
ee ee MSS Pe) ib iba ee 
PRAYER 


LMIGHTY God, on this day of Resurrection we re- 
member Jesus our Lord. For His sacrifice on Cal- 

vary we thank Thee. May the thought of His suffering 
and shame subdue our selfish hearts, and in His spirit of 
patient surrender let us all seek Thee this day. Blessed 
are our eyes for we have seen the glory of the Lord. 
With glowing souls we look for His coming. His king- 
dom shall know no end. Oh, let the joy of His victory 
inspire us all that in the simple affairs of daily life, in our 
consecrated service, and in the last hour of death, we may 
look up and know that all is well. Oh, God and Father 
of our risen Lord and Savior, in Thee do we trust. Amen. 





HUMANITY 


XLVII 
GOD AND MAN 
What ts man that thou art mindful of him?—Psaun 8: 4. 


HE Bible is sometimes blamed for its unworthy con- 
ception of man. His sin has been exaggerated, we 
are told. Man, in the Bible, consequently is only de- 
praved, demoralized, and pitiable. Does this Psalm sup- 
port that view? ‘“ Thou hast made him only a little 
lower than the angels.” This is not a poetical conceit. 
It is a statement of the price that God sets upon you and 
me. Some scientific theories today seem to take delight 
in leaving man among the brutes. But the Bible lifts him 
far above that level. He is a citizen of an infinitely 
higher kingdom, and is the lord, monarch, and keeper of 
this world of wonders. 

The subject of the Psalm is the superiority of God’s 
revelation of Himself in and through man over every 
other form. The poet looks for evidence of God first in 
the heavens, where the clouds, like deep-laden ships, sail 
across the seas of space. God has set His name there. 
But all this immensity and beauty are voiceless apart 
from the mind to perceive it. To the lower creation, light 
and darkness are only physical sensations. But man has 
the power to apprehend God’s meaning in all this. To 
him it is a sign, a seal, a covenant. The door of beauty 
opens, and he sees home to the heart of God. 

But is there not a note of incongruity here? There is 
a conflict of faith and experience. Is not man sometimes 
brutal, vicious, and a prey to every evil passion? Are not 
the best gifts of God abused? This is not merely a mis- 
fortune. It is sin. 

But God is mindful, says the Psalmist, and He visits 
man. This is not paying a call, but the coming of a dear 
friend. Thus did Jesus come into the heart of human 
need, and in Him the weakest are strong, and the vilest 
clean. 


112 


GOD AND MAN 113 


THE CONSTRAINTS OF LOVE 


As the harvests in the valley and the countless stars 
on high 
Serve the God that gave them being while the cen- 
: tures pass by, 
Lord of Life, be my endeavor, as the swift years 


hurry on, 

That I bow in love’s obedience in the darkness and 
at dawn. 

As the purple blooms around me smile in radiance 
to the sky, 

And the little birds sing anthems to their Maker as 
they fly, 

God of Love, before Thy presence let my life declare 
my praise, 

Thou art health and peace, my Father, in the rush of 
busy days. 

In the breath of Thy great Spirit all the universe is 
born, 

Only that which lives without Thee on the earth can 
be forlorn. 

Let me worship Thee, Almighty, in the temple of 
the mind. 

’"Mid the light that shines within me truth Eternal 
I shall find. 


PRAYER 


LMIGHTY God, whose handiwork is increasingly 
revealed with the passing of the centuries, we be- 
seech Thee to bless all who labor with hand and head in 
the realm of business. May they be honest with Thee 
and with their fellowmen. Deliver them from the selfish- 
ness that would make slaves of others, and may they give 
a just reward for work well done. Save us all from care- 
lessness, slovenliness, and unfinished tasks. Amen. 


XLVIII 
THE MEASURE OF A MAN 
Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan.—GEngEsis 13: 11. 


N an act of will every part of man’s being is involved. 
Three elements stood out clearly in Lot’s choice. 

First,—It was the measure of his conscience. Her de- 
mand is that every action have moral quality. There is 
no universal subjective ideal, but certain constituents are ~ 
essential to the moral ideal. Conscience has a threefold 
duty to perform. She brings us face to face with alter- 
natives, she gives us the feeling of obligations, and she 
supplies the feeling of fitness, whereby we differentiate 
between good and evil. What of Lot? Of moral quality 
there was none in his choice, for he was selfish; of moral 
authority there is no trace, for he broke the simple law of 
decency in his treatment of his dearest friend, and of 
moral ideal there is not a vestige left, for he drifted from 
that. day beyond the reach of prayer. 

Second,—It was the measure of his character. Natural 
endowment is planted like a seed. By the process of 
adaptation and habituation the mind elects, accepts, and 
ratifies the ends which it will pursue. The blossom is 
tendency; the fruit is character. The past is a storage 
battery whose influences direct the course of life into 
channels of its own choosing. Egypt filled Lot’s imagina- 
tion. Somewhere his early training had been at fault. 
No man can cut himself off from his past. 

Third,—It was the measure of his ideals. Choice is 
potential or final,—the former when it is the result of 
disposition, example, or environment, the latter when it 
is the result of deliberation. These are not inseparable, 
and in either case the end is never conditional. Life is 
a chain,—experience, choices, habits, and character. The 
poison of Egypt was in him. In Christ is our triumph 
complete. | 


114 


THE MEASURE OF A MAN 115 


THE PEACE OF GOD 


Oh heart of man with lawless discontent 
Tormented, from thy turbid depths arise 
In holy priest or pilgrim piteous cries 

Of lonely failure, none may circumvent. 


Within the seamless robe of life a rent 
Appears, that shames thee sore. Since earth denies,— 
Be not decetved,—what heaven alone supplies, . 
Beyond the mountains let thy prayers be sent. 


Thou art the offspring of the Infinite, 
And must be suckled at the breast of God. 
Sealed are thine eyes nor can they know the light, 
Until thou lookest from the sweating sod. 


If knowing not Thy peace my soul must die, 
Then to Thine altars, oh my God, I fly. 


PRAYER 


H, gracious Father, wilt Thou receive a bruised and 
and humble heart? How blessed is Thy promise, 
for Thou wilt sustain all who are oppressed by the bur- 
dens of life. Be near to me in the contemplation of my 
weakness. How deep is the pit of sin, how subtle the 
voice of the tempter, and how fierce the conflict unseen 
and unheard! God deliver me from the chains of pas- 
sion! Have pity on my distress! Give me Thy hand, oh 
Father, that I may walk safely among mine enemies, and 
help me to trust when the darkness descends upon my 
soul. Deliver me from senseless regret and from the folly 
of repining. Take me with Thee into the victory of faith, 
and let me taste the joy of Thy salvation. Keep Thou 
my soul, oh Lord, and in the days of trial I shall not 
fail. Amen. 


XLIX 
AN UNPRINCIPLED MAN 
The unjust judge.—LvukEe 18: 1-8. 


WO persons are brought before our notice,—an un- 
just judge and a widow. He was a bad rascal. 
The description is that of a totally unprincipled man. 
The phrase was proverbial “ Fearing not God nor regard- 
ing man.” Now, in the Christian religion these two 
always go together. The Gospel of Jesus proclaims a 
unity of origin, need, and destiny. But this vain fellow 
thought himself too far above this poor soul to trouble 
himself about her for a moment. Ah, but our duty to 
God and our duty to our fellow men and women stand or 
fall together. Religion should purify all our relation- 
ships. Change in one’s attitude to one’s fellows is only a 
make-believe. That he was a convinced villain is seen 
from the manner in which he confesses it to himself. An 
ordinarily bad man is the last to confess his real character 
—even to himself—but this depraved soul took pleasure 
in his badness. It was a good joke. That is consummate 
villainy, indeed, when a man can pride himself in his 
sin,—chuckle over a fortune wrung from innocent hands, 
or wink at pleasure which spells the ruin of another. He 
helped her at last because he was annoyed by her appeals. 
Of course, the widow had no money to give him, and she 
had no influence to bring to bear upon him. Friendless, 
destitute, weak and poor,—a pitiable figure! Yet how 
definite she is. She did not come for gossip. We should 
pray like this. Too many go to God when they have 
really nothing to say. They are either drowsy or indiffer- 
ent. How urgent she was! The Greek suggests that the 
judge was actually afraid of violence from her. So should 
our prayers be fervent. And God will answer us. The 
successful men are they who turn the spirit of this 
widow’s prayers into action. 


116 


AN UNPRINCIPLED MAN 117 


CHARITY 


It ts hard to be loving. The best gifts are slighted. 
Ingratitude leaves the pure motive benighted. 

There rs always a fiend with a sneer for the stranger, 

Or a temper that halts one’s approaches with,—“ Danger.” 


If there’s anything worse in this wide world around me 
Than the chill of the loveless, whose glances confound me, 
Have pity and tell me, for I would go roaming 

And pass not their way from the dawn to the gloaming. 


Tis the duty of every true man and woman 

To live with his fellows as if they were human, 
For the judgment of heaven on saint or beginner 
Will fall on the loveless,—the only true sinner. 


Oh day of earth’s happiness sad and appealing! 
Oh fugitive dream, thou art ever revealing 

One law for the whole,—that ye love one another, 
Till man unto man o’er the earth shall be brother. 


PRAYER 


H, Lord God, who carest for the weak and the af- 
flicted, we entreat Thee to be very near to those 
who are in danger at this hour. Where workmen are ex- 
posed to conditions that threaten life and limb, grant 
wisdom to exercise the necessary care and foresight. If 
some should suffer, spare them that they may soon be 
strong again to provide for those who depend on them for 
their daily bread. Protect all travellers by land and sea. 
Help them to accomplish their appointed tasks in safety 
and bring them again in Thy good providence to those 
who wait for their coming. In the Spirit of Christ help 
us all to plan the destruction of all that endangers health 
and happiness. All life is dear to Thee. Grant us the 
compassion of Jesus. Amen. 


L 
A MAN’S WORK 
Let us not be weary in well doing.—GALATIANS 6: 9. 


HERE is a principle in this text which is very im- 
portant. We are all members of a larger whole. 
To attempt a life of isolation leads to stagnation and 
death. Society has helped to make us, and we in turn are 
helping to make society. As we seek our own highest 
good, we seek the highest good of others. This is true in 
more senses than one; anything less, and society suffers in 
proportion. Now, when Paul speaks of well doing, he is 
thinking of Christ’s example. The influence for which he 
calls is to be a Christian influence; the service is to be 
the service of love. In this gift of love alone will individ- 
ual and society alike find their highest development. 

How full life becomes when we begin to live for others 
in the spirit of loving helpfulness! Unselfish cares and 
helpful activities give life a new meaning. Sympathy 
gives us new interests and makes us forget. our own sor- 
rows. In doing good to others, we are doing good to our- 
selves. Well doing is a beautiful word. But Paul issues 
a warning. “ Let us not be weary.” He is not finding 
fault, for he includes himself. He uses two words to ex- 
press his meaning,—‘ weary ” and “ faint.” The former 
suggests fear and the latter weakness. What causes this 
weariness? Paul is explicit,—fleshly lusts, pride, and 
forgetting Jesus. Under His inspiration alone can His 
people hope to bear the grievous burdens of love. Paul 
demands not merely well doing but continuance in well 
doing. It is to be the work of a lifetime. 

Think of the promise! ‘“ In due season we shall reap 
if we faint not.” At the appropriate time it will be ours, 
—that is, when the sowing is done. Here and now it will 
come to us, for nothing can equal the charms of a loving 
and generous personality. 


118 


A MAN’S WORK 119 


LOVE 


How sweet it is to love! 
No pilgrim walks alone, 
No mortal drinks the flame 

Or diets on a stone. 


Kind words are food enough 2 
To satisfy desire, 

And gifts no trifles are 
That kindle mercy’s fire. 


A brief good morn, a smile, 
A tear in sympathy, 

A handclasp warm, a page 
From leisured memory! 


The day 1s brighter; songs 

Thrill the clear air of noon. 
Night 1s pleasant dreamed, 

And life soon spent,—too soon. 


PRAYER 


ATHER, Thou knowest the secrets of the heart, even 
when we try to hide them from Thee. Grant Thy 
loving Spirit to those who are laboring at tasks that are 
unpleasant and for which they do not feel themselves 
fitted: Show them how to make the best of the place they 
now fill, and if it please Thee call them higher. But let 
not the drudgery spoil their natures, or ruin their work. 
Fighting bravely, may they be prepared for greater re- 
sponsibilities in Thine own time. Enable them to remem- 
ber Jesus who endured the Cross, despising the shame for 
the sake of others. Help us all to take our share of life’s 
joy and sorrow, looking ever to that better country, where 
all questions are answered and the burdens of our mortal 
life are no more. Amen. 


LI 
THE CONTRIBUTION OF A CHRISTIAN 


By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if 
ye have love one to another—JouHN 13: 35. 


. The witness of Jesus. “ Herein is love,” said John, 

and no man can doubt God’s love so long as the 
Cross remains. There are three words to express this 
ideal love of Christ—compassion, for Jesus took the 
needy world into His heart; mercy, for He forgave the 
guilty; and grace, which is love in its super-excellence, 
for the Son of God was the friend of sinners. Oh, for a 
heart to love like this! 

B. The witness of the Christian. Love is the instru- 
ment for the accomplishment of His purpose. The world 
is incredulous of verbal testimony. Dogma has lost its 
attraction. Ritual is only an historical echo, but the 
violence of love no heart can withstand. There is a very 
plain reason for this. The one law under which we are 
all born is the law of love. The whole constitution of 
man is originally adapted to it. Love unlocks every door. 
“By this shall all men know . . . if ye have love.” 

C. The witness of the Church. Even in her worst day 
the faithful remnant carried the Spirit of Jesus to the 
world. Two enemies have hampered her work,—denomi- 
nationalism and sectarianism. The former implies differ- 
ence of opinion, and the latter the spirit of enmity which 
underlies these differences. Christian union would be 
easy but for this uncharitable bigotry. Colorless uni- 
formity is undesirable but Christian brotherhood is a 
glorious reality. Love is the divine organizer. 

D. The witness of history. Christ’s footsteps can be 
traced along the shores of time even where the billows 
have broken. Slaves and wine glasses were of equal value 
to Aristotle. Rome at her best was Rome at her blood- 
iest. But the slavery of Calvary makes all slaves free. 
The world needs loving hearts. This is our Christian 
contribution. 


120 


THE CONTRIBUTION OF A CHRISTIAN 121 
MY PURPOSE 


One purpose and one only 
Have I designed,— 

For I, too, have been lonely,— 
I would be kind. 


The angry word unspoken 
None will suspect. 
The fluent promise broken 
Faith will correct. 


Let friends be the defenders 
Around my heart, 

And vainly shall pretenders 
Play their low part. 


Peace will destroy the towers 
Of lust and hate, 

And Hope will build her bowers 
About love’s gate. 


PRAYER 


PIRIT of Truth, Thy will is made known over all the 
world in the harvests and in setting suns. Yet how 
many forget Thee. Thinking to live without Thee, they 
suffer sorrows untold and lose more than they gain. Oh, 
turn their hearts to Thee that they may find peace and 
love! Remember those who are forgetful of themselves. 
They seek the lesser good. God, pity their shortsighted- 
ness and, if it please Thee, change their foolish ways e’er 
the day of life shall close. Oh, Father, may all men re- 
member Thee every hour of the day, and find honor and 
confidence in Thy presence. Amen. 


LII 
THE CARE OF SOULS 
No man cared for my soul.—Psaum 142: 4. 


HAT a pitiful wail! Nobody cares. How many 
hearts have fallen in the struggle of life for want 
of a friend! A stranger in church is lonely and unblessed 
even in the circle of God’s family. In a far away city the 
traveler passes unnoticed, till it seems as if he walked in 
a wilderness. The business office is a dungeon, home is a 
frozen zone, the battlefield is a shambles, when nobody 
cares. It is the wail of the wind around the door weep- 
ing sore for the inhumanity of man. 

What a reproach! The Hebrew word suggests study, 
and this involves three things,—interest, attention and 
practice. We are interested in other things to the exclu- 
sion of God’s chief concern,—the souls of men. Here is 
the responsibility of the Christian, that he take time to 
study the lot of the unfortunate and the oppressed. Nor 
is this enough, he must take steps to put into practice the 
knowledge acquired. All men are my brothers, said the 
Mohammedan, in the abstract, but they are only truly 
my brothers when they behave as such. But lo, the brut- 
ish selfishness, carelessness and arrogance that lie in wait 
for the lovers of men. ‘‘ Man’s inhumanity to man 
makes countless thousands mourn.” 

What an appeal! It is the only thing worth caring for. 
Schools to make better citizens! Sport to make healthier 
bodies! Labor to make happier homes! Churches to 
make nobler souls! What of the lands that know not 
these things? Plague, exploitation and ignorance still 
take their deadly tolls. Did Jesus care? The answer is 
in the Cross. Does America care? The answer is in the 
army of patient toilers with Him at home and abroad. 
Yet still from the lands that sit in darkness comes the 
cry, ‘‘ No man cares for my soul.” Do we care? 


122 


THE CARE OF SOULS 123 
VALUES 


Oh little babe, more precious thou 

To God than all the pillared power 

In this majestic shrine. The vow 

Of virtue long outlives this tower, 

Where hoary centuries in mossy shadows fall, 

And distant voices through the verdant stlence call. 


Oh humble son of man beside 

The altar, priests of unknown name 

Have come and gone in pomp and pride. 

An end there is to all the same. 

But thou art found undying through the ages gone, 
A changeless priesthood pleading for a happier dawn. 


Faint not, oh weary pilgrim, here 

Thy soul may be at peace. Be not 

Enamoured of unholy fear, 

For thou shalt find as thou hast sought. 

Thine are the keys to guide thee through the holy place, 
Where God will hear the broken hearted face to face. 


PRAYER 


E thank Thee, oh God, for the story of Thy love. 

Never has man been left without a Saviour, and 
in the fullness of time Thy purpose of love was revealed 
in Jesus, our Lord. As Thou hast cared for us, so do 
Thou enable us to remember the need of the world. Give 
us hearts sensitive to the cry of distress and hands liberal 
to relieve it. May we become bearers of Thy sympathy 
to the lonely and the suffering. In all good causes 
strengthen us that we may stand against all selfishness 
and greed. Grant us the vision of Jesus that we may see 
the better day for mankind when sorrow and sighing shall 
flee away. Amen. 


LIil 
CHRISTIAN STRATEGY 


He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are 
forgiven thee-—Mark 2: 5. 


ARALYTICS are not healed every day. But Jesus 
attempted the impossible cases,—blind men, dead 
men, bad men, lepers and all. This story brings out the 
value of human aid in the restoration of the apparently 
impossibles. The faith of these good men is remarkable 
for two things. First, for what it attempted, and sec- 
ondly, for what it achieved. The situation is plain,—a 
hopeless disease, a helpless cripple, and a trying journey 
through the streets. The crowds at the door were against 
them, for were there not others waiting for this healer’s 
touch? Ah, but they were men of faith, eager, persever- 
ing, expectant. They were determined men with an in- 
tent and purpose such as lifts life above the commonplace. 
They were men of strategy, for was it not a clever move 
to find access through the roof? It was an inspiration. 
How patient they were, too! Opposition only encouraged 
them. 

What men! God give us many more like them. 
Neither priests nor kings were they, but their record is 
written in God’s book for ever. 

Can you wonder at their achievement! This was a 
serious interruption and bordering on insult. Yet the 
Lord admired their courage and energy. Only one thing 
offends Jesus, and that is unbelief. 

Before a word of explanation was spoken, the Savior 
blessed the daring visitor, but not as the latter expected. 
“Thy sins.” Jesus put first things first. To raise the 
sinner from his sick bed without a corresponding healing 
of the soul is but to extend his lease on wickedness. Jesus 
prepared him for the further blessing. ‘‘ Take up thy bed 
and walk.” This was deliverance and victory complete 
and permanent. What a witness for Christ! This is 
victory that overcometh the world, even your faith. 


124 


CHRISTIAN STRATEGY 125 


WASTE 


Ah, this waste! 
We tear the pages from lfe’s diary 

With frenzied haste, 
Their empty tale repeated day by day, 
And blindly swept by vagrant winds away. 


No word, no deed 
To mark their passing, not a hallowed prayer 
For souls that bleed 
Through life’s dread agony! No welcome there 
To help hope’s pilgrims still to strive and dare! 


Then let each year 
_ A storehouse be in God’s safe keeping,—not 
For hate and fear, 
But for love’s treasures rare patiently brought 
From marts, where love is neither sold nor bought. 


PRAYER 


UR Father, who didst give us life, we look to Thee 

for strength in the wear and tear of each passing 

day; preserve us in the hope through Jesus Christ that 

Thy will for us is best. How often we doubt to our own 

distress, for without Thee it is dark. Bless our loved ones 

that their years may be as the song of the reapers in the 

harvest. Graciously forgive the sins of all Thy children, 

and in the spirit of Jesus may we learn to serve Thee 
with a pure heart. For Thy Name’s sake. Amen. 

; 


LIV 
THE EXERCISE OF REASON 


Prove all things: hold fast that which is good. 
—I THESSALONIANS 5: 21. 


AUL resembles Jesus in this. Our Lord emphasized 

truth rather than mystery. ‘ Ye shall know the 
truth’ He said. Paul is following His Master in his 
counsel, ‘‘ Prove all things.’’ 

The.principle is right. He meant that they should use 
their reason. Some abuse it, but certain types will abuse 
anything. It is a God-given faculty like eyesight and is 
not to be despised. He meant also that they should find 
underlying reality. Gold is taken from rock and sand. 
Only the metal is of value. So much of religion is tem- 
porary and accidental. To prove it is to find what is 
eternal and spiritual. For example, what is Christianity? 
Not merely an institution with certain forms and cere- 
monies more or less pagan in their origin. Surely it is 
the organized attempt to apply the principles of Jesus to ° 
the individual and to society. Find the truth, says Paul. 
Again he meant that they should test their convictions. 
Many of our beliefs are an inheritance or are the result of 
indifference or intellectual sloth. Dogmatic Christianity 
may become an easy religion. Authority is the refuge of 
ignoble minds. See that your convictions rest on intelli- 
gence. This does not mean that the individual mind is 
the complete limit of reality. Pure individualism is offen- 
sive in any realm. We must consult the best mind of the © 
age in its search after truth, in order to be in touch with 
the growing powers and principles of our age. 

Results justify this attitude. Proving discovers what 
is good. It produces a well-balanced mind and a well- 
balanced life. Hold fast to it, says Paul. Do not wait 
until your whole scheme is complete. From bud to blos- 
som a rose is beautiful. There is something that can be 
proved and which we can hold fast,—Jesus, His mind, 
His Spirit and His power. 

126 


THE EXERCISE OF REASON 127 
SUCCESS 


Know thou art right, and fear no man. 
Drive on, and let the world make way, 
For some will meanly scorn thy plan, 
And for its failure wait the day. 

Then take thy rest: rise with the dawn. 
The road is wide and long. Drive on! 


Still guard thy soul. Answer not scorn 
With scorn, but chain thine anger deep, 
For ruin is of madness born, 

And doth a vicious revel keep. 

Hold to thy task, thy vision broad; 
Be brave, and leave the rest to God. 


PRAYER 


H Thou who art the fountain of all wisdom, I come 
to Thee because it is so easy to err. I thank Thee 
for all the gifts and graces of my life and for the oppor- 
tunities that make it so worth while, but I pray Thee to 
forgive my indifference. Teach me how to make the most 
of what Thou hast given me and let me never despise the 
faculties at my command. Thou hast given me a body. 
Let it not minister to my own selfish pleasure. Thou 
hast endowed me with reason. Let it not weave a veil of 
mystery around me to hide me from Thy presence, but 
let it build a tower to bring me to the gates of heaven. 
Thou hast entrusted me with a soul. Let me not clothe 
it in rags or starve it in a dungeon, but let it be the 
Master of my life under the guidance of Thy Spirit. Oh, 
may my life minister to Thy glory that many who sit in 
darkness may be led into the light of obedience by what 
Iam and do. Let the Spirit of Jesus be my strength that 
with humble heart I may become more like Him with 
every passing year. Amen. 


LV 
THE VALUE OF EDUCATION 
Train up a child in the way he should go.—PROVERBS 22:6. — 


REAT movements have taken place during the last 
hundred years for the improvement of our race. 

Education has been the cause of them, and has been 
caused by them. Truly this is the day of higher educa- 
tion. What is the purpose of education? It is intended 
to make people think. The brain is a system of telephone 
wires. The individual must learn how to make the right 
connections. But he must think clearly. Words may be 
thoughts, but only in the hands of those who understand 
them. The mind should be like Roger Denham’s picture 
of the Thames: 

Though deep, yet clear, though gentle, yet not dull, 

Strong without rage, without o’erflowing full. 

To think independently is the climax of the process. 
The craze for authority is only temporary. Truth must 
be personal before it becomes universal. To find the raw 
material the student learns to observe as the naturalist 
finds friends on every roadside. He must observe the 
right things, distinguishing between the accidentals and 
the essentials, and he must observe the right things ac- 
curately, for there is a vast difference between one cipher 
and two ciphers in a city bank. Concentration is the 
key to the mysteries. 

Now, such an experience cannot but influence character. 
It makes men eager to learn. It awakens interest in the 
broader realm of human affairs. It clarifies principles 
rooted and grounded in the universe. It enables men to 
make exceptions and to draw conclusions, for differentia- 
tion is the lance of thought. Thus education does not 
only teach. It trains. Such training makes thoughtful 
men reverent. The study of earth’s wonders leads the 
mind up to God. The soul is in communion with the 
highest. It is not necessary to speak of religious educa- 
tion. All education is religious. 


128 


_ THE VALUE OF EDUCATION 129 
SEEKING 


Spirit of Truth, with whose divine persuasion 
The soul 1s wooed above the dreams of sense, 

Fold me about that thought may find occasion 
To trust Thy leading when the dark is dense. 


Thou that hast known the wisdom of the ages, 
Teach me the secrets that my soul can bear, 

That when the tempest of my blindness rages, 
I may with them'Thy consolation share. 


Oh, bear with me that cannot understand 
The truth that 1s a shadow in my mind. 

Amid the changing systems take my hand, 
Till in my wanderings certainty I find. 


It is my life,—no less, and there alone 

My soul shall learn to read the truth, for Thou 
Hast set Thy mark not upon wood or stone, 

But ever on the faithful seeker’s brow. 


PRAYER 


ATHER, all life is dear to Thee, for it is the work 
of Thy hands. How beautiful is Thy world, that 
blooms and ripens in the summer season! May we be 
ever conscious that God is round us everywhere to en- 
courage and sustain! Let our gratitude be so deep that 
every cup of water and every simple meal may be a sac- 
rament. Bless Thou our homes. The little children are 
Thy special care. Guard them that no evil befall them, 
and when there is no human eye to see, may the loving 
hand of the Eternal Father preserve them from danger of 
body and soul. Spare us all together, young and old, for 
many years of service. Everywhere and always we are 
with Thee. Amen. } 


LVI 
THE IDEAL CITIZEN 


There shall in no wise enter into it anything that de- 
fileth—REVELATION 21: 27. 


HERE are two cities mentioned in this passage, 

Babylon and Jerusalem. They represent forces 

here on earth that are forever striving for the affections 

of men and women. The former is the city of curse and 
quarrel; the second is the city of health and happiness. 

The City of Darkness is characterized by egotism, loud 
voice, loud clothes and loud purse proclaiming the vul- 
garity of its citizens; by vanity, for success-proud, purse- 
proud, and intellect-proud swagger about like pirates; 
and by self-complacency, for the leaders are perfectly 
satisfied with everything except when their own conven- 
ience is challenged. Such citizens are morally offensive, 
for this is the meaning of abomination. There are three 
stages in the development of sin. First, it is offensive to 
God; then to the world, for the ugly manifestation of evil 
is never popular, and last of all it becomes offensive to 
the individua] himself. The life of deceit, pretence, hy- 
pocrisy fills the streets of the City of Darkness and con- — 
ducts its business, for it maketh a lie. 

The City of Light is ruled by citizens whose names are 
written in the Book of Life. What are the books that 
live? Only a very small proportion of the volumes that 
come from the press are remembered: for long. Such 
books are the result of sacrifice, struggle, and anguish; 
and the citizens whose names are honored through history 
are such as have borne the burden of human need and 
have fought the good fight for justice and righteousness. 
Their names are in the Lamb’s book of life. This is not 
a charter of names, merely, but a record of moral gran- . 
deur and achievement. Aye, more, it is the Lamb’s book 
containing the record of such as have lived like Jesus. 
These are the ideal citizens of the City of Light. 


130 


THE IDEAL CITIZEN 131 


THE WILL OF GOD 


It 1s the highest peak 

Beyond whose dizzy crown 
The eagle dare not seek 

The sun, nor stars look down. 


It 1s a long, low plain, 
Beneath a summer sun, 

Where never toil is vain, 
And ne’er a curse is won. 


It ws a fortress bold, 
Whose venerable walls 
Stern tales of strife unfold, 
When error’s trumpet calls. 


It 1s a stlent night, 

Where moonbeams drape the trees 
To sheld with silver light 

Earth’s sorrow on its knees. 


Here hope ascends to greet 
The rising of the sun. 

Heaven’s triumph its complete,— 
“Thy will, not mine, be done.” 


PRAYER 


E praise Thee, oh God, for the vision of Thy king- 
dom which we have learned of Jesus, and for the 
place that Thou hast given us in its progress. Take not 
from us our dreams of human betterment, but grant us 
Thy strength and wisdom to make them real. Forgive 
our selfish neglect of the interest of others and our indif- 
ference to the reign of evil in the world about us. Create 
in us the spirit of rebellion against wrong and help us to 
follow Him who alone hath overcome the world. Open 
our eyes to the needs of our own communities. Amen. 


LVII 
CHRIST’S SUPERSTATE 
My kingdom 1s not of this world—JouHn 18: 36. 


HE Church in its material form has sometimes 
claimed the right to rule above all kings and gov- 
ernments. The visible Church and the Kingdom of God 
were thus confused, and the former became an empire 
not unlike the kingdoms of the world,—rich, despotic 
and unspiritual. 

Now, Jesus said, “ My kingdom is not of this world.” 
His Church ; is not stone and lime, neither is His kingdom 
laws, priests, officers and ritual. The Church that is 
built on gold and silver can never truly serve the interests 
of the Kingdom of God. 

This kingdom has a King. His name is Jesus, and to 
Him alone every knee must bow. Absolute authority He 
claims over every heart. His work is not done until He 
comes to His universal throne. 

This kingdom has a constitution. It is written in the 
Word of God. In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus laid 
down the principles in keeping with which His people 
must order their lives, and it is their task to persuade the 
world into this obedience. The glory of this kingdom is 
not its revenues, but its people, by whose loving service 
the world is being saved from the curse of its folly. That 
their number be multiplied from pole to pole is the 
prayer of every loyal Christian. 

This kingdom is to be measured not extensively, but 
intensively. It is a kingdom within kingdoms,—a world- 
wide superstate, which claims the first loyalty of all who 
follow Jesus. In its defense its citizens will make war 
against sin in all its forms. This.is the Church militant. 
It knows no bounds of space or time, and of its increase 
there can be no end. Scattered abroad everywhere to the 
utmost isles of the sea. its representatives labor, hope and 
pray, for the divine Sovereign has said that the kingdoms 
of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord. 


132 


CHRIST’S SUPERSTATE 133 
THE ARMY OF GOD 


Oh, may the measured tramp of men 
The peoples of the earth awake 

To join the fearless fight again, 
Till Christ His Kingdom take! 


When terrors triumph o’er the earth, 
And men forget the sacred things, 

Remember Him who gave thee birth 
To serve the King of Kings. 


God gird thee with the armour bright, 
The promise of His sacred Word, 
To conquer not by thund’rous might 

But by Thy Spirit, Lord! 


PRAYER 


OW can we ever thank Thee, gracious Lord, for the 
multitude of friends, whose love makes life beauti- 
ful! For noble women who have taught us to think pure 
thoughts and for good men whose right hand has sup- 
ported us many a time on the dangerous way. Spare 
them to us and may their number be multiplied. Help us 
to carry their example out into life with us that others 
may thank God for our influence. By word and deed 
may we make life pleasanter for some who may sorely 
need us. And oh, let the spirit of friendship possess every 
human heart, that hate, vengeance, and greed may wither 
away like autumn leaves. To this end teach us the 
friendship of Jesus, that, drinking at the fountain of His 
love, we may be continually refreshed to endure the bit- 
terness and the disappointments of the way. Oh, Thou 
Eternal Friend, we trust in Thee for Thou dost fail us 
never. Amen. 


LVIII 
THE FIELD OF SERVICE 


Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every 
creature —Mark 16: 15. 


HESE are the crowning words of Christ’s life, show- 

ing His faith in His own work, its future, and its 

value to humanity. They explain the missionary zeal of 
the Church. 

A. The sphere is outlined. Geographically, the word 
means the material world in which we now live. Even in 
this twentieth century our Lord’s command has not been 
accomplished. There are still vast territories across 
which the winds have not borne even the whisper of His 
name. The world also means the people in it, and how 
saddening it is to read of a handful of unlettered converts 
amid millions of opponents. Again the word may be used 
in a spiritual sense. An eminent Chinese leader declared 
that poverty was the curse of his country. He meant 
poverty of intellect and heart first, and Jesus said, “I am 
the light of the world.” The word may also be applied to 
the world of affairs,—business, society, and the structure 
of civilization. Satan could still show to Jesus kingdoms 
subject to his evil sway. It is the aim of the Gospel to 
Christianize human relationships everywhere by bringing 
the nations to a knowledge of His will and persuading 
them to apply His principles wherever men and women 
mingle. The world can never be permanently won for 
anything good until it has been won for Christ. 

B. The sphere 1s defined. ‘“ Creation” is very compre- 
hensive and inclusive. All nature rejoices in man’s sal- 
vation. Harvests are better, flowers prettier, and houses 
more securely built, when men learn to serve God. The 
Gospel is His wonderworking instrument,—beyond our 
power and with results beyond our dreaming. Therefore 
does the Church proclaim not “ good talk” nor “ uplift 
speeches,” but “ Jesus,” who is able to save unto the 
uttermost. 


134 


THE FIELD OF SERVICE 135 
THE BANNER 


Through flaming flelds, where brave men fall to die, 
The years have seen thy standard crown the plain 
With victory. Proud boast, and yet not vain, 

"Ts written thou didst never shameless lie 

Torn and reviled, while conquerors passed by. 

Ne’er hath unhallowed cause with heinous stain 
Defiled thy soul, but scorning baser gain 
Thou hast made covenant with God on high. 


Oh, may thy triumph be unending, till 

Justice around the world her temple build! 
Sublimer victory awaits thee still, 

Thy fairest dreams for human kind fulfilled. 


Vaunt not thyself in carnage heaped and red! 
In the soul’s conflict lead as thow hast led. 


PRAYER 


ATHER Eternal, we rejoice today in the coming of 
Thy dear Son Jesus, our Saviour, into the world. 
We have felt the power of His cross in our lives, and have 
seen its triumph in our own day. Open our hearts to its 
influence yet again, that in the rebuilding of the waste 
places throughout the world the sons of men may be com- 
forted, strengthened, and redeemed by its wonderful love. 
Grant to us leaders who know the meaning of the sac- 
rifice of Jesus, so that, led by His Spirit, they may direct 
the activities of the multitudes to honorable ends, We 
thank Thee for the great souls who have come again and 
again to lead our nation onward into the light. Let their 
number be multiplied. We beseech Thee, in these critical 
times, that our name may be a praise over all the earth. 
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 


LIX 
LEADERSHIP 


There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 
—JOHN 1: 6. 


LL men are not equal in their endowments and at- 
tainments. There are some, in fact they are the 
majority, who are simply a mob to be led. The problem 
is with us, as with Jesus; they are “‘ as sheep not having 
a shepherd.” Completely adapted, man, in a perfectly 
evolved society, is a chimera, a city in the clouds. 

Leadership is a matter of personality. This does not 
mean something physical. Little men have often been 
amongst the world’s most illustrious leaders. It is not 
materialistic, the power of money is limited to what it can 
buy. It is not intellectual only; some able teachers are 
very dull. Neither is it purely ethical, for the saints are 
often too pious to be popular. | 

Leadership must be spiritual. The man sent from God 
is an instance, It means that such a leader has an over- 
whelming consciousness of the presence and supremacy of 
the spiritual in the affairs of life and of history. To him 
God is always victorious, however life may seem to con- 
tradict him. Such a man is brave, not with the braggado- 
cio of the demagogue but with the sincerity of the saint. 

The true leader must be a man. He must know the 
strength and weakness of his fellows, not as an anatomist 
but as a brother. The sham leader cares nothing for this. 
In fact he capitalizes their ignorance and shame. The 
world needs men whose rich endowment is the measure of 
their willingness to serve. 

Such men are like John,—a gift from God. Greatness 
in the case of Jesus and John was spelled not in letters of 
gold but of blood. The God-appointed leader in the new 
world which He is creating must serve, live, and die for 
others. Such an ideal has waited long for sufficient ex- 
pression. ‘Today it is clamorous in the souls of men, 
and will not tarry. 


136 


LEADERSHIP 137 
THE INTERPRETER 


There is no meaning in events and lives, 

If there be no divine Interpreter. 

Then are men brutes, gorged with the fruit of spear 
And claw, and fools are they to sheathe their knives, 


For strength is victor. What are good and ill 

But actors on an artificial stage 

That pace the boards in purloined robes, and rage 
Or whisper at a clever plotter’s will? 


If this be all, then let man die tomorrow, 
No treasures are there for the soul to borrow; 
And human kind will travel back again, 
Degenerate, the sacrifices vain. 


Ah! but by God whose Spirit seeps through all, 
No good is lost should kingdoms rise or fall. 


PRAYER 


LMIGHTY God, we praise Thee for Thy guiding 
hand in history. Goodness and mercy have been as 
the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night 
for Thy people in all generations. Out of the darkness 
of our ignorance and shame the voice of Thy Son hath 
called us,—“ Follow Me.” We thank Thee for all who 
have borne His cross, and who even unto death have 
sought to make the world better than they found it. Be 
pleased, oh God of our salvation, to bless those who sit 
in the high places, and who are charged with the care of 
the public good. Let them remember how Thou hatest 
robbery for burnt offering. May they hold their trust 
sacred, and ever be ready to make an accounting unto 
Thee. Oh, loving Father, Thou hast taught us that no 
man liveth unto himself. Bless our beloved land that 
her glory may not fade like a flower. Let her name be a 
praise upon the earth. Amen. 


TR Say 
THANKSGIVING 
Giving thanks always for all things—EPHESIANS 5: 20. 


A) Bie verse is a pan of praise. Some are surly in 
their praise and some superficial, but Paul pulls out 
all the stops of his organ and fills the heavens with the 
melody of his soul. 

A. The direction of his thanks. Too many thank 
themselves. They are under obligation to no man. How 
blind they are! Some give credit to their heredity or 
environment, forgetting that these are in God’s hands. 
Only to God should we render our utmost thanks. Two 
aspects of God’s nature are emphasized; His power, for 
He is God, and His love, for He is Father. The first em- 
phasizes the “ having” and the second the “ giving.” 

“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” says our text. 
Paul is Jealous for Jesus. Without Him we miss the high- 
est in life. Only in His Spirit can we make the best use 
of God’s favors. Only with His love in our hearts can we 
use the gifts of heaven for the good of men and the glory 
of God. 

B. The occasion of his thankfulness. “ Always.” We 
set apart one day of the year for thanksgiving. It was 
intended to be the symbol of all-the-year-round thanks- 
giving. Too often it is only a holiday. The note of praise 
is lost in many instances. Paul says “for all things.” 
However humble it be, loving thankfulness sweetens 
the table. However contrary to your expectations the 
gift may be, offer thanks unto God, and however familiar 
it be. Bread and butter, birds and flowers, light and air 
are life’s essentials. Not miracles of deliverance from 
death, but the simplest details of life are most worthy 
of our thanks. 

C. The expression of it. Paul’s word is the sweetest 
in the New Testament. It symbolizes the spirit of praise. 
Thanksgiving is an affair of the heart. Then we give 
thanks at all times, in all places, and for all things. 


138 


THANKSGIVING 139 


TREASURE 


I asked of life the fairest flowers 
Through all the earth abroad, 

And garlands came from heaven’s bowers, 
Fresh from the land of God. 


I sought my treasures night and day 
Where truth deep buried lies, 

And soon a million jewels lay 
Before my dazzled eyes. 


I knocked at virtue’s guarded door, 
When rose the misty dawn. 

And there, where shadows were before, 
Eternal lovelight shone. 


For as you ask so is tt given, 
Or seek, so will you find. 

Oh knock, and God will open heaven, 
So wonderfully kind. 


PRAYER 


OW gracious are Thy dealings with us, Father, and 
how deep the debt we owe to Thee. From Thy 
hands has come our life and in Thy hands we find the 
generous support of all our being. Bountiful are the har- 
vests that supply our physical needs so that we are able 
to labor worthily in the service of our fellowmen, but oh, 
how rich the treasures of Thy grace for the satisfaction of 
our spiritual needs. In our joy and in our sorrow Thy 
love is unfailing and for the hunger of our eager hearts 
we take from the hands of Jesus the bread of His life. 
We praise Thee, oh God, for the years crowned with Thy 
loving kindness, for what our eyes have seen, our ears 
have heard, and our lips have tasted of all Thy goodness. 
Help us to give Thee back Thy gifts again in consecrated 
life and loving service. Amen. 


LXI 
THE MODEL WORKMAN 


I must work the works of him that sent me, while 1t 1s 
day.—JOHN 9: 4. 


ORK is an old word and is found in every lan- 
guage. The model workman— 

A. Enjoys his work. Slavery makes work a curse. A 
whip does not encourage men and a wail is a sorry sub- 
stitute for the song of the reapers in the harvest. Men 
must be free to choose their sphere of labor if they are 
to enjoy it. Nevertheless, Jesus said “I must,” but it 
was a happy compulsion, for He commended His joy to 
His disciples. Many men would give all they are worth 
to know such quiet of soul, but the world is too much 
with them. Happy is that workman who finds his daily 
duties pleasant to his hands. 

B. He respects his work. Jesus worked with God. 
The Heavenly Father is ever caring for His children and 
planning their welfare. To work for God, therefore, is to 
build a better world and to make humanity happier. 
What bounty, beauty, and grace have been planted 
through the ages by the Eternal hands for man’s reaping! 
God’s service is a work of love. It is not surprising, 
therefore, that Jesus gloried in His partnership,—“ I 
must work the works of him that sent me.” | 

Life is a conflict of ends. Is it to be self or others? 
Work for work’s sake has no message for men. The goal 
which it serves must be inspiring and ennobling. Even 
the humblest toiler in the field of the world may codp- 
erate with Jesus. He who is hired by God is the model 
workman. 

C. He makes the most of his work. ‘“ While it is day,” 
said Jesus. How soon it passes! Like a cloud, a breath, 
or a shadow, says the Bible. But let no man hurry. This 
means blundering. He prayed well who said, ‘‘ God give 
me work till my life is done and life till my work is done.” 


140 


THE MODEL WORKMAN 141 





THE LOAD 


The burden always seems too great 
When first I bend beneath tt. 

I grumble at the heartless fate 
That blindly did bequeath it. 


Then like an untaught child I moan 
And spoil the day with fretting, 

Tul I am left unloved, alone, 
Infe’s better part forgetting. 


I sit awhile to think, and then 
I growl and frown no longer. 

Yet though my heart is light again, 
Tis not that I am stronger, 


But sumply that my biggest load 
Is just my selfish sorrow. 

If love will light the longest road, 
Why needless burdens borrow? 


PRAYER 


UR strength is in Thee, oh Lord. Thou hast given 
us work to do and hast fitted us for our tasks. 
Help us to do with our might what our hand findeth to 
do. We praise Thee, too, for the rewards of our industry, 
—for health of mind and body that comes through the 
exercise of brain and brawn, and for the supply of our 
physical needs through our sowing and reaping. Help us 
not to become too engrossed in our toil, lest we forget our — 
spiritual needs. Unite us, Father, in high endeavor to 
make Thy kingdom real. We thank Thee for Jesus who 
labored in His day. May we possess His Spirit so that 
we may gladly bear our share of the world’s toil and find 
our highest reward in Thee. Amen. 


LXII 
CHRISTIAN INTERNATIONALISM 
The field is the world —MatTHEWw 138: 38. 


OU have seen the clouds drifting across the sky, 
great, snowy temples that vanish mysteriously at 
the touch of the sun. Uncertain, indefinite, unstable they 
are! Internationalism has been regarded by many as 
sharing the nature of cloudland, but, lo, the cloud is tak- 
ing a new form and finding a foundation upon the earth. 
We are beholding today the rise of the international 
mind. Jesus saw beyond the bounds of the little nation 
within which He was born. His good works were not 
confined to His own people. The faith of a Gentile was 
commended. He scorned the Jewish pride of birth in so 
far as it stood for monopoly of divine favor. ‘“ Other 
sheep have I that are not of this fold.” ‘Go ye into all 
the world.” ‘These words were present to the conscious- 
ness of the Early Church and in the spirit of them Paul 
went far and wide, proclaiming the kingdom of the Son 
of God. Today we are becoming aware of the existence 
of other nations. We are acquiring the power to imagine 
the conditions under which they live, and are beginning 
to learn from their longer history. 

Again there is the international spirit. The sons of the 
kingdom, said Jesus, are the seed. Now, seed dies that 
harvests may ripen. That is to say internationalism is 
not a matter of politics. It is not a theory. It is a will- 
ingness to sacrifice for the larger end. It says not “me” 
and ‘“‘ mine,” but God, truth, justice, a better world, and 
a better humanity. This is the spirit of Christian mis- 
sions, and the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the 
new world. 

Then there is the international conscience. Jesus 
viewed the clash between good and evil in the movements 
of history, as He spoke, but He saw also where the vic- 
tory would lie. All human relations must be Christian- 
ized. Internationalism is not in dispute. It is a fact. 


142 


CHRISTIAN INTERNATIONALISM 143 


THE NEW DAY 


The day of the dreamer has come, 
And mountains that pray at the dawn 
Shall march with the beat of the drum, 
E’er ever the vision be gone. 


And, oh, for a tume and a time 
The cities ye built in the skies 
Have sought for a soil and a clime, 
That faith not forever denes. 


Oh man is the heir of his dream 
To wander the universe vast, 
And find that the unerring gleam 

Will float nto noonday at last. 


PRAYER 


OW comforting it is, our Father, to trace Thy living 
hand in all the events of our life. Here and there 
Thou didst intervene to save us from the waywardness 
of our ignorance. Though we did not know, yet Thou 
wert near. Oh, how inspiring to think that Thou dost 
lead us still. Enable us to codperate with Thee to the 
end that we may serve Thee aright. We are glad to have 
suffered, rather than to have sinned. Oh, God, our hope 
is in Thee, and we will not fear what men may do. Our 
hearts tremble for the wickedness of the world. How 
great is the task of redeeming mankind! If it were ours 
alone, then would we cease to struggle. But there is 
nothing impossible with Thee. Wilt Thou use us, Lord, 
in the harvest fields of truth? Help us to be in earnest, 
and may we be willing to labor long even until the 
shadows fall. Amen. 


Printed in the United States of America 








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